By Ian Quillen
PHILADELPHIA, June 22 (Reuters) - France and Iraq players were left waiting in their dressing rooms at halftime after thunderstorms forced a delay to the start of the second half of their World Cup clash on Monday.
A FIFA spokesperson said the game would resume at least 30 minutes from when the halftime break started.
"Please exit the open seating area and seek shelter in the stadium as directed by the stadium staff. A severe thunderstorm is approaching," an advisory message on the scoreboard
read.
France were leading 1-0 after Kylian Mbappe scored his 15th World Cup goal in the 14th minute.
There was no indication on when the match would restart.
"There was a warning, then it disappeared, then it came back... I've stopped updating the players as it changes every 30 seconds," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "We're waiting... And afterwards, the important thing will be to have time for another warm-up to get the team back on track."
World Cup matches in the United States can face lengthy delays because FIFA must comply with local lightning safety regulations.
Under U.S. protocols, play is suspended immediately if lightning is detected within an eight-mile (13-km) radius of a stadium and can only resume after 30 minutes have passed without a further strike.
Any new lightning detection resets the countdown, meaning delays can stretch for several hours if thunderstorms persist.
FIFA has no fixed time limit after which a match must be abandoned, with each situation assessed on a case-by-case basis.
(Reporting by Ian Nicholas Quillen, Editing by Christian Radnedge)
