The 2026 World Cup is arriving in North America with all the hype you’d imagine. But fans – those traveling to games as well as those watching in bars and homes around the world – should be prepared for potential breaks in play, and not just for rehydration.

The World Cup’s heat challenge

Yes, much of the pre-tournament discussion has focused on heat. And rightly so. Players and coaches complained about soaring temperatures during last year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, and the weather boffins have warned that conditions could be even more challenging during this tournament.

Compared to 1994, the last time the World Cup was in the US, there are significantly more matches likely to be played in temperatures around and above 80°F (27°C), raising fresh concerns about player welfare. Water breaks will help to some degree.

But heat is only half the story.

What happens if there is a lightning storm at World Cup?

In many American host cities, thunderstorms can arrive with the timing and subtlety of a freight train bursting through a garden party. And when lightning appears, FIFA has very little room for negotiation.

It’s not their decision.

Unlike many tournament regulations – including covering up branding – weather protocols are dictated by local authorities. In the US, FIFA follows guidance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which states that play must stop if lightning is detected within eight miles of a stadium.

You read that right, the storm doesn’t need to be overhead. It can be eight miles away! That’s almost 13 km for those of you who prefer the metric system. Either way, it’s a distance.

That means that a match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey could be halted because of a big flash over Yankee Stadium. The same applies in Boston, Miami, Kansas City, Houston and other host cities where summer thunderstorms are common.

How long is game delay after lightning strike?

Once a strike is detected inside that safety zone, players leave the field and supporters are directed to shelter. A mandatory 30-minute countdown then begins.

Doesn’t sound too bad.

But every new lightning strike resets the clock. How often have you only seen the one flash?

Imagine trying to boil water in a kettle but somebody keeps unplugging it every few minutes. That’s essentially how the process works.

Only when 30 uninterrupted minutes pass without another nearby strike – like locking that annoying unplugged in the other room – can fans return to their seats, or turn the TV back on, and players begin warming up again.

What is the maximum delay allowed?

There is actually no maximum delay time limit. FIFA assesses every situation individually.

If conditions make it impossible to complete a match, World Cup regulations allow it to resume on a later date from the exact minute it was stopped. A game halted in the 76th minute would restart with only 14 minutes remaining to play. Given the number of games they’re trying to fit into the next few weeks, this could be a challenge.

With heat already under scrutiny and thunderstorms a regular feature of American summers, weather could become one of the tournament’s most unpredictable opponents.

What happens if one of the simultaneous group games is delayed?

And there could be another twist.

FIFA schedules the final two matches in each group to kick off simultaneously so that no team knows exactly what result it needs to advance. But if one of those games is halted by lightning while the other continues, that balance could disappear.

Players, coaches and fans in the delayed match might eventually return to the field knowing precisely what scoreline would send them through. It is the kind of scenario tournament organizers would rather avoid, but one that may be impossible to prevent when North America’s summer storms decide to join the action.

It’s worth noting that UEFA faced a smaller version of the problem at Euro 2012 and simply delayed the other kick-off by 15 minutes. FIFA have been asked for the protocol in this situation.

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