PHILADELPHIA - Fans at the 2026 World Cup in North America had been warned there was a possibility that games could be disrupted by bad weather.
On Monday, that likelihood came true with a vengeance as lightning flashed across the sky above Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and torrential rain soaked spectators at France's game against Iraq, forcing play to be halted for more than two hours.
It was the first time that a match at the tournament has had to be paused due to the weather.
Fans at the stadium tried to make the best of the situation, although they were surprised by the strictness of the protocol.
After Canadian referee Drew Fischer sent the 22 players back to the dressing rooms for half-time, with France leading 1-0 thanks to a Kylian Mbappe goal, an urgent message flashed up on the scoreboards: "Please exit the open seating area and seek shelter in covered areas of the stadium."
The approximately 70,000 spectators, many already in ponchos and rain coats, filed out and, in little more than 15 minutes, the concourses of "the Linc" resembled a huge train station on a holiday travel day.
Antoine Chouraqui, a Frenchman who has lived in the United States for a decade, took the development in stride.
"There are storms in the summer here. I've never had to evacuate a stadium, but I play tennis and often we're in the middle of a match when the alarm goes off warning that lightning is coming, and we have to leave the court," he told AFP.
A fan from Paris though was baffled by the order to leave the stands.
"We don't really know what to do; we haven't been given many instructions," said the man, who declined to give his name, as he stood with his two sons.
"I've never seen that in 40 years of football. In France we don't stop a match for rain."
The rain poured and poured, soaking any fans who lingered in the seats.
"We brought the ponchos, we were ready," said Steven Jouan, 32, who had come to Philadelphia from South Carolina with his partner for the game to support France.
"We have been to different sporting events before so we knew that delays happen. Most of the other games get cancelled but a World Cup game, you just gotta stick it out."
Eventually, the lightning stopped flashing and an announcement was made that the game would restart. France went on to win 3-0.
- by Leo Huisman and Andy Scott (AFP)