England could face fresh World Cup chaos as quarter-final tie confirmed

England may face more weather-related disruption before Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway.

Thomas Tuchel’s side came through a dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Monday morning (2am UK time, 7pm local), though kick-off was pushed back by an hour because of thunderstorms—local protocols require a 30-minute halt to outdoor activity after each lightning strike.

On Friday night, it emerged that FIFA had considered moving the start time from 6pm to 12pm local time. The Athletic later reported that while bad weather played a part, safety issues were also raised.

However, after talks with both national associations—England’s FA said they were “deeply concerned” and had not been consulted initially—FIFA opted to keep the original schedule.

Now England head to Miami, Florida, to face Norway, who beat Brazil 2-1 in New Jersey. Florida has also seen storms and extreme heat in recent weeks, and NBC 6 Miami forecasts possible “isolated thunderstorms” on Saturday, with temperatures up to 33°C and a 30% chance of rain throughout the day.

This isn’t England’s first weather delay in the U.S. Their final pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando—also in Florida—was held up for an hour due to thunderstorms and rain.

At the time, Tuchel told ITV the delay was “no problem” and that it was useful for the squad to experience such conditions before the tournament began.

“We were aware it could happen—now we’ve lived through it,” he said. “It’s not an excuse to lose our mood, patience, or hunger for the game. Not at all. We found out while still at the hotel, so it was simple—we just left on the bus half an hour later and got on with it.”

FIFA’s thunderstorm protocol explained
FIFA’s weather guidelines, based on advice from national meteorological and government bodies, state that if lightning strikes within 8–10 miles of a venue, play must stop for at least 30 minutes after the last strike.

Fans are told to leave their seats and seek shelter; ahead of the Mexico match, a shelter-in-place order was issued. If a game is abandoned because of prolonged storms, FIFA rules say it will be resumed from the point of suspension on another day, provided it had already kicked off.

Lightning has already affected three World Cup matches, including a two-hour half-time delay in the France–Iraq group game. Mexico have also been hit twice—their last-32 tie with Ecuador was delayed by an hour, as was their last-16 meeting with England.