England matches could face HUGE delays if thunderstorms hit as FIFA make decision

England are at a pre-tournament training camp in Florida as they prepare and acclimatise for the World Cup, where extreme temperatures and thunderstorms could interrupt matches

England may have to deal with their matches being delayed by thunderstorms at the World Cup because FIFA is reluctant to rearrange fixtures. The Three Lions have touched down in the United States and are training in Florida to prepare for their campaign.

Thomas Tuchel’s squad flew out to West Palm Beach on Monday to acclimatise ahead of what could be a gruelling campaign in North America. They will be based in Kansas City ahead of Group L fixtures against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, Ghana in Boston on June 23 and Panama in New Jersey on June 27.

Tuchel and his staff are well aware of the difficulties and potential dangers that extreme weather could pose this summer after the Club World Cup was impacted a year ago. The Three Lions have done everything in their power to control the controllables, but are still at the mercy of the weather.

The Daily Mail reports that, in the event of a thunderstorm, FIFA would delay fixtures, rather than postpone and rearrange, due to logistical considerations and time pressure. England’s games against Ghana and Panama kick off in the late afternoon on the east coast, meaning thunder and lightning is a possibility.

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Last summer, Chelsea saw their match in Charlotte, North Carolina, against Benfica at the Club World Cup delayed for nearly two hours due to lightning, despite there only being five minutes left to play. The Blues eventually won 4-1 following extra-time – four hours and 38 minutes after kick-off.

“Climate-related risks are assessed as part of overall tournament planning and managed in close coordination with the host cities, stadium authorities and national agencies,” FIFA told Mirror Football.

“FIFA will have dedicated meteorological support in place throughout the tournament, both centrally and in the host cities, to ensure access to the most accurate forecasting data and to strengthen real-time decision-making capabilities.

“FIFA’s emergency preparedness team meets regularly with national meteorological and emergency management authorities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as with partners across all 16 host cities.

“A comprehensive, tournament-wide preparedness exercise focusing on severe weather scenarios has further strengthened cross-agency coordination and operational readiness. Stadiums are required to maintain robust risk management and evacuation procedures, including lightning and severe weather protocols aligned with local legislation and international best practice.”

While thunderstorms could interrupt matches, extreme heat is certain to have an impact. FIFA has introduced three-minute drinks breaks in each half, while trying to avoid scheduling matches at the peak of the heat, but Tuchel is well aware of the increased strain on his players.

“We are not used to being in this kind of heat and humidity, and even altitude if we play in Mexico,” he told Sky Sports. “There will be a lot of challenges in this World Cup. The heat is one of them but we are prepared already.

“We know the individual reaction of the players to the heat and we have cooling strategies in place. We’ve had help from Team GB and specialists all over the world to come up with solutions that help the players to adapt.

“We know exactly the amount of time we want to expose them in pre-camp, the ideal amount of time that you should train in the sun and that we also don’t do too much.”

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