Heavy rain and the threat of flash flooding cast serious doubt over Monday night’s World Cup match between Norway and Senegal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The seating bowl at the stadium was briefly cleared during a heavy downpour approximately four hours before the scheduled 8 p.m. EDT kickoff between the two sides.
A light rain was still falling around 75 minutes before the match was due to begin, though conditions had eased sufficiently for preparations to continue.
The U.S. National Weather Service issued a flood watch covering parts of New York City and New Jersey, including Bergen County, where MetLife Stadium is located.
Roads leading to the venue had standing water four hours before kickoff, raising concerns about fan safety and access to the open-air stadium.
The NWS warned that showers and potential thunderstorms carrying high levels of moisture were expected to move through the area during the afternoon and evening.
“These showers will have the potential to produce up to around 2 inches of rainfall per hour,” the NWS said, adding that “these rates could result in flash flooding mainly over urban and poor drainage areas.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged ticket-holders to begin travelling to the stadium at least four hours before kickoff, warning fans not to take the weather lightly.
“Do not underestimate the weather,” Mamdani said, adding: “I’m urging everyone to plan ahead and give themselves extra time to travel safely.”
“No destination is worth risking your safety,” Mamdani said. “If conditions become severe, stay indoors and wait until it’s safe to travel.”
New York City Emergency Management also issued a formal travel advisory as authorities worked to manage the potential risks surrounding the fixture.
FIFA confirmed it would monitor conditions in real time and was prepared to activate contingency protocols if extreme weather events occurred during the evening.
“FIFA will continue to monitor conditions in real time and stands ready to apply established contingency protocols should extreme weather events occur,” the governing body said in a statement.
Under FIFA and North American sports protocols, play is immediately suspended if lightning is detected within eight miles of the stadium, with a mandatory 30-minute reset after each new strike.
Around 100 miles south in Philadelphia, France’s match against Iraq was suspended at halftime due to heavy rain and an incoming thunderstorm, with France leading Iraq 1-0 at the break.
MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010 and seats approximately 80,000 fans, was built on steel pilings over the New Jersey marshlands and has no roof to shield supporters from the elements.
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