France face Spain in the opening semifinal (Photo: Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
July 14, 2026 Updated 11:26 am EDT
This World Cup is going to be hot and, at times, stormy, with a sizeable chunk of its 104 games set to be played above 90F (32C).
Spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, it is likely to be the warmest edition since the previous World Cup in North America, when the U.S. hosted it solo in 1994.
While extreme heat and humidity will affect how matches are played, thunderstorms could provide the greater logistical challenge.
Under the thunderstorm protocol in place, a match must be suspended if lightning or electrical discharge is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium involved.
Once that happens, a 30-minute countdown begins, but resets if another strike is detected before it ends. On June 22, the game between France and Iraq became the first World Cup game delayed by the storms, stopping for more than two hours.
To help understand which games will be most affected, The Athletic is working with Aaron Mentkowski, chief meteorologist at WKBW-TV Buffalo, to provide a daily forecast. Aaron will join live coverage to explain what’s happening during storm delays.
France vs Spain
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. Kick-off: 2pm local time
An indoor match, so no weather worries today on the pitch. Outside it will be partly sunny, hot, and humid with a few storms developing. At 2pm in Arlington the temperature will be 87F (31C) under mostly cloudy skies. At 4 pm, after the match, expect a temperature of 90F (32C) with a heat index of 98F (37C). Winds today out of the east at 5 to 10 miles per hour.
Jul 14, 2026
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