Overview
- Organizers delayed gate openings at Philadelphia Stadium and told non‑local fans not to travel Monday as flood watches and flash‑flood warnings covered areas around MetLife Stadium.
- Forecasts from the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center warned of very high short‑term rain rates of about 1–2 inches per hour, wind gusts near 50–60 mph and an isolated tornado risk that could coincide with evening kickoffs.
- Under FIFA and U.S. protocols, play must stop if lightning is detected within an eight‑mile radius and cannot resume until 30 minutes pass without another strike, with each new strike restarting the clock.
- Stadiums and city agencies have activated spectator safety plans that ban umbrellas, direct fans to concourses and shelters, limit transit access to ticket holders and stage shuttle services to manage flows to MetLife and Philadelphia venues.
- There is no fixed maximum delay and no reserve day for group fixtures, so an abandoned match would resume from the minute play stopped with the same scoreline, creating potential travel, broadcast and scheduling knock‑on effects for fans and teams.