England's World Cup warm-up friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando has been delayed due to a weather warning issued at the stadium. The big screen urged supporters to 'take shelter' as the pitch became waterlogged, with England's official social media account confirming a 20-minute delay.
The match, scheduled for Wednesday night, is England's final outing before their World Cup campaign begins against Croatia in a week's time. Adverse weather conditions have struck Florida, with locals confident the game would go ahead but delays always possible given ongoing lightning.
Extreme weather across the USA has been a major talking point ahead of the tournament. Players will be removed from the pitch if lightning strikes, which could cause significant hold-ups. Similar scenes occurred during last year's Club World Cup, with six matches suspended due to electrical storms, including Chelsea's clash with Benfica.
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca questioned whether America was a suitable host for summer tournaments, stating: 'If you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition.' FIFA have indicated they will assess each fixture individually if play needs to be suspended.
Water breaks have been arranged with temperatures comfortably surpassing 30 degrees in certain host cities. England star Harry Kane dismissed worries about the heat, saying: 'The drinks breaks help. A lot of people are talking about the heat but I don't think it's going to be as big a factor as what some people say.'
