England's group-stage encounter with Mexico at the FIFA World Cup is under threat of disruption, with storm systems over Mexico City raising the possibility of significant delays before and during the match at Estadio Azteca.

FIFA's rules on lightning

FIFA has clear protocols in place to protect players and fans when lightning threatens a venue. If lightning is detected within eight miles of a stadium at the time the doors are scheduled to open, neither supporters nor players are permitted to enter the ground.

Should a storm develop after fans and players are already inside — or while the match is underway — play is halted immediately. The game cannot resume until 30 minutes have passed without a lightning strike within that eight-mile radius. Crucially, every new strike resets the timer from zero.

Eight miles may seem like a wide safety margin, but lightning is capable of striking more than 10 miles from the centre of a storm. Beyond the immediate danger of a direct strike, FIFA's protocols also account for ground currents — where electrical energy travels through the soil after impact — as well as contact injuries from charged conductive materials and side flash, where electricity discharges from a struck object to nearby people.

Why the risk is taken seriously

Estadio Azteca is expected to host more than 80,000 spectators for the fixture. While the probability of any single individual being struck by lightning is low, a crowd of that size multiplies the collective risk considerably — both inside the stadium and for fans travelling to the venue.

The calculus is straightforward: the likelihood of an incident may be small, but its potential consequences — death, serious injury, and mass panic — are catastrophic enough to justify the precautions. In the United States, where several World Cup matches are also being played, comparable protocols are enforced under guidance from the National Weather Service, making this not solely a FIFA-driven policy.

Storms have already struck this tournament

This World Cup has already seen two matches disrupted by severe weather. France's group-stage game against Iraq was suspended for approximately two hours during the interval after lightning was reported in the vicinity. Mexico's earlier meeting with Ecuador was also affected, with kick-off at Estadio Azteca pushed back by an hour due to nearby storms.

With the same venue hosting England's clash against Mexico, tournament organisers will be monitoring conditions closely as match day approaches.