The France game was delayed because severe weather moved into the Philadelphia area, including heavy rain and lightning near the stadium, which triggered a safety stoppage at halftime. FIFA’s protocol requires play to be suspended when lightning is detected within 8 miles of the venue, and the delay ended up lasting a little over two hours.

What happened

  • The match had already reached halftime with France leading 1-0.
  • Rain intensified late in the first half, then thunderstorm warnings forced players, staff, and fans to shelter.
  • The second half could not restart until the lightning risk cleared for the required safety window.

Why it took so long

  • The rule is not just a brief pause: if lightning keeps appearing inside the safety radius, the countdown resets.
  • That is why a delay announced as “at least 30 minutes” stretched to more than two hours.

In one line

It was delayed for weather safety , not for a football-related issue.

TL;DR

France’s game was delayed because thunderstorms and lightning near the stadium triggered FIFA’s severe-weather protocol, which forced everyone to wait until it was safe to resume.