The opening game of the 2026 World Cup could be disrupted by extreme weather conditions next week, with a tropical thunderstorm expected to sweep through Mexico. This summer's soccer festival is finally set to begin next Thursday, with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the very first match at Estadio Banorte in Coyoacan, Mexico City.
But just over a week out from that curtain-raiser, experts have warned that a cluster of showers and thunderstorms off the coast of Mexico and Central America threatens to wreak havoc on some of the early games of the competition.
'There is an increasing risk of rain and thunderstorms around Mexico City for the opening match of the 2026 World Cup,' said AccuWeather long-range meteorologist Alex Duffus. 'This surge of tropical moisture has our full attention as it could grow into something more significant.'
Rain with a high of 79 degrees is expected in Mexico City when the World Cup begins next Thursday, which could impact both the opening game and South Korea's clash with Czechia in Guadalajara later that evening. It promises to be the second-named storm of the Pacific hurricane season, after Tropical Storm Amanda developed 1,500 miles southwest of Mexico's Baja Peninsula earlier this week.
Previous Weather Disruptions
Last summer's FIFA Club World Cup was also affected by thunderstorms, causing a match between Benfica and Chelsea to be delayed for around two hours due to 'severe weather' around Charlotte, North Carolina. The match lasted over four-and-a-half hours in total.
Heat and Safety Measures
World Cup players are already bracing themselves for extreme heat this summer, with experts concluding that 93 percent of games are likely to be played in temperatures exceeding 28°C (82.4°F). To keep players, fans, and staff safe, tournament chiefs are adapting to the rising heat risks with more evening matches in hotter cities and mandatory hydration breaks at all games. Matches may be postponed if the wet–bulb globe temperature (WBGT) – a measurement of humid heat – hits 32°C (89.6°F) to minimize risks of heat stress.
But most stadiums are open–air, leaving players and millions of fans exposed to peak summer heat. Only three of them are fully climate–controlled with retractable roofs – Atlanta, Dallas and Houston.
Lightning Protocol
If a thunderstorm strikes, protocol dictates that a fixture being played at a stadium has to be immediately suspended if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the venue. This leads to athletes, coaches and officials being taken off the field and fans being evacuated to safe areas within the venue. After a strike is detected, a 30-minute countdown clock starts. If that 30 minutes passes without another strike, the match will resume after a warmup period. However, if another strike occurs before that half hour elapses, then the clock re-starts at zero.
