England's final World Cup warm-up friendly against Costa Rica has been delayed by an hour after extreme weather and lightning storms hit Orlando
Samuel Meade
21:20, 10 Jun 2026Updated 21:30, 10 Jun 2026
An empty stadium with a large electronic display on the side showing a warning for inclement weather.
England's final World Cup warm-up isn't going to plan
England have announced a postponement to this evening's friendly against Costa Rica following a weather warning at the stadium in Orlando.
The big screen displayed a weather alert urging supporters to "take shelter" as the pitch became waterlogged and, following an assessment of both the playing surface and local weather conditions, kick-off has been pushed back by an hour to 5 p.m. ET (10 p.m. BST).
Wednesday night's fixture represents England's final outing before they launch their World Cup campaign against Croatia in a week's time, though severe weather has swept across Florida.
Mirror Football understands that locals were always confident the match would proceed given the pitch's effective drainage system, though delays were considered likely owing to the ongoing lightning threat.
The extreme weather conditions sweeping across the USA have dominated conversation ahead of this summer's tournament, with players set to be withdrawn from the pitch should lightning strike, potentially causing significant disruption.
An empty stadium with a lush green field and large word "Orlando" displayed prominently on one side. The stands are vacant, and overhead lighting is installed along the roof.
Similar scenes unfolded on multiple occasions during last year's Club World Cup in the US, where six matches were suspended due to electrical storms. Amongst those affected was Chelsea's encounter with Benfica, which kicked off at 4.38pm local time and eventually concluded four hours and 38 minutes after it had begun.
Then Blues boss Enzo Maresca raised doubts following the match about whether America, given its unpredictable climate, was a suitable location for hosting summer competitions. "If you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition," he remarked.
Venues along the Gulf Coast and in the south-eastern United States, including Orlando, face the greatest risk from thunderstorms. FIFA has confirmed it will assess each fixture individually should weather force a suspension of play.
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On the flip side, soaring temperatures could prove equally problematic. With some host cities experiencing conditions well above 30 degrees, water breaks have been incorporated into matches, affecting both fixtures and daily training sessions.
England ace Harry Kane dismissed worries about the heat following Saturday's victory over New Zealand, stating: "The drinks breaks help. A lot of people are talking about the heat but I don't think it's going to be as big a factor as what some people say.
"Me personally and a few of of the boys who have been training for a while in it felt fine today. We're all athletes, we're all professionals and have played in warm weather conditions before."