Mexico and Ecuador’s World Cup match on Tuesday in Mexico City is delayed after lightning in the area.
The match was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET at the Estadio Azteca and the delay was made official about an hour before kickoff, with the game now expected to begin about an hour late – around 10 p.m. ET
Officials needed to wait for lightning strikes to pass before signing off on a new start time, players will need time for warmups and all the pregame ceremonies and anthems are yet to occur.
Earlier in the World Cup, the France-Iraq game in Philadelphia had a two-hour delay during halftime due to lightning and torrential downpour.
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The start of the match – 7 p.m. local in Mexico City – was pushed back due to lightning and is now expected to begin an hour late (10 p.m. ET).
Warmups and pregame ceremonies had yet to occur when the delay was announced, so a new start time will have to build in those activities. Rain is expected in Mexico City until about 8 p.m. local at the Estadio Azteca.
During the rain delay, fans have remained in their seats and seem to be having a good time.
FIFA does not have an official policy for lightning and storm delays.
Typically, there has been a 30-minute mandatory delay if there is a lightning strike within eight to 10 miles of the stadium. Each subsequent strike adds another half-hour to the delay.
This story will be updated
