Lightning halts pre-World Cup friendly in Texas

Fans at the Q2 Stadium were told to seek shelter because of the extreme weather

>Saudi Arabia's World Cup warm-up game against Puerto Rico in Texas was halted for nearly two hours because of extreme weather.

>The match at the Q2 Stadium in Austin was stopped in the 21st minute as thunderstorms and lightning forced players off the pitch, with messages telling fans to seek shelter.

>There were a number of lightning strikes before the match eventually resumed, with Saudi Arabia winning 3-0.

>The 2026 World Cup, which is being held across Canada, Mexico and the United States, starts on 11 June.

>It is taking place at the peak of the thunderstorm season in several host cities, and if a lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium the game will be stopped.

>A mandatory 30-minute countdown then begins and, each time there is a lightning strike inside the distance, the countdown clock resets to 30 minutes again.

>While the Q2 stadium will not host any matches during the World Cup, two stadiums in Texas will be used during the tournament.

>There will be seven matches at the Houston Stadium, while the Dallas Stadium will host nine matches, including England's group game against Croatia.

>Last year, the Club World Cup took place in the US and Chelsea's last-16 tie against Benfica in Charlotte lasted for four hours and 39 minutes as it was one of a number of games halted because of seasonal summer thunderstorms.

>Heat is also expected to be an issue at the World Cup, with researchers warning temperatures at 14 of the 16 stadiums being used could exceed dangerous levels.

>Saudia Arabia play their final warm-up game against Senegal on Wednesday before they start their World Cup campaign against Uruguay at the Miami Stadium on 15 June.

>They have further Group H games against Spain in Atlanta on 21 June and Cape Verde in Houston on 27 June.

>How thunderstorms and lightning could impact games at World Cup

>Everything you need to know about the World Cup