Chelsea’s exciting Club World Cup last-16 encounter with Benfica was suddenly halted in Charlotte, NC, when a violent thunderstorm caused a stoppage in play in the 86th minute. Ahead with a slender 1-0 lead, the Blues were fuming at the referee after lightning in the vicinity prompted the evacuation of both teams. Meanwhile, almost 26,000 supporters had to seek shelter.
The opening goal came in the 64th minute when Reece James stood over a free-kick on the left flank and decided to take a chance. The right-back curled a ball toward the near post that wrong-footed Benfica goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin. As Trubin scrambled across his line, the ball nestled into the bottom corner, handing the Blues the crucial advantage.
But the theater was abruptly taken from the pitch to the sky. Black clouds loomed, and thunder boomed near the stadium, prompting the referee to halt play. However, this caused some frustration among the players. Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were all quite furious, and manager Enzo Maresca was seen arguing with the officials.
However, since Charlotte is famous for its summer storms, and lightning was flashing uncomfortably close, there wasn’t much else to do but evacuate fans to the concourses and players to the dressing rooms. A minimum of 30 minutes is expected before play can continue.
The Chelsea Benfica Delay is Not the First in This Club World Cup
This is not the first instance of this kind. Already the sixth weather delay in this competition, it follows substantial delays between Boca Juniors and Auckland City, RB Salzburg and Pachuca, Palmeiras and Al Ahly, Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns, and the Benfica group match against Auckland City, which faced a two-hour storm delay.
The crowd was also controlled off the stadium’s capacity. Only 25,929 fans showed up at the stadium to fill the 75,000 seats, most of whom were now standing in limbo, uncertain about whether the game would resume. Weather delays have sometimes lasted up to two hours.
The interruptions have also shaken the broadcasters and the fans, particularly given that the continent is hosting the 2026 World Cup. Chelsea’s narrow lead is temporarily on hold, yet since nature always seems to intervene, even the best plans may not be sufficient to secure passage to the quarter-finals at the expense of Palmeiras.