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World Cup fixtures could experience significant delays if thunderstorms occur near any of the tournament venues.

The competition, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, takes place during the peak storm season across parts of these nations. The United States in particular enforces strict safety regulations regarding lightning.

Since FIFA will follow the safety protocols set by local authorities throughout the event, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirms that any lightning strike detected within an eight-mile radius of a stadium mandates an immediate suspension of play.

This rule was put into practice several times during last year’s Club World Cup held in the US, where six matches were interrupted because of electrical storms.

One such instance involved a clash between Chelsea and Benfica that started at 4:38 pm local time and concluded four hours and 38 minutes later due to weather interruptions.

Venues situated along the Gulf Coast and the southeastern regions of the United States are most likely to be affected by thunderstorms. FIFA has announced that each suspended match will be evaluated individually if play is disrupted.

Whenever lightning is recorded within eight miles of a venue, a 30-minute countdown will begin before play can resume. Any additional strike during that period will reset the timer, potentially resulting in extended stoppages similar to the one witnessed in the Chelsea-Benfica encounter in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Possible complications may also arise if storms occur during the final round of group-stage matches. The kick-off times for both games in each group are synchronised to prevent teams from gaining an advantage by knowing other results, though weather-related delays could make such coordination difficult.

If conditions are deemed too hazardous and a match must be abandoned, World Cup regulations specify that the fixture will be rescheduled. The replay would restart from the exact minute where play was halted, with the remaining minutes completed subsequently.