World Cup: Group I: France vs. Iraq, 6/22/2026

[elmaco]

:>



Tell them about chemtrails too!



That´s not Spanish my dude hahahahha

Lol, it was the first video when searching for spanish commentator

 

[Live in the Now]

Won't disagree with that. Iraq have looked far better than I would have given them credit for.

I do wonder if some of the Asian teams are just more familiar with each other. Many of the Iraq players come from the domestic league.

They’re also used to winning. Some part of that carries over even against tougher teams.

 

[Karterthadon]

Is there a water break during the delay too?

 

[koyvoo]

Tell them about chemtrails too!

Jimi Hendrix never died. They just turned him into Morgan Freeman.

 

[Jussi]

The current information is that teams will come out to warm up in 5 minutes and the second half will begin in about 25 minutes.

 

[Summer Rose]

Is there a water break during the delay too?

Yes. It’s coming from the sky and all.

 

[Sweetnut]

Is there a water break during the delay too?

If they have a "hydration break" in the second half now, I'm gonna riot.

 

[GKJ]

It might rain a bit before the game ends but the worst has passed

 

[GKJ]

Why are we getting a replay of the US game when they’re going to kickoff in like 5 minutes?

 

[Tryamw]

Some very strange uniforms for France and Iraq.
And why do they have the US and Australian flags..

 

[Halladay]

Why are we getting a replay of the US game when they’re going to kickoff in like 5 minutes?

I thought they were going to get an update at the top of the hour?

 

[Tryamw]

If they have a "hydration break" in the second half now, I'm gonna riot.

Tosses you a pitchfork... (realizes tossing it Tines first was not a good Idea (tm)).
After tossing it that way.

Sorry

 

[Sweetnut]

People returning into the arena.

 

[GKJ]

I thought they were going to get an update at the top of the hour?

They showed fans returning to their seats, feels like that’s a good indication.

 

[bluesfan94]

Why are we getting a replay of the US game when they’re going to kickoff in like 5 minutes?

I get why they would have done it had they done it back when the second half was scheduled to kick off, but they waited too long.

 

[elmaco]

Spectators being ordered back inside.

 

[Sol]

man just start the game. Have some balls.

 

[Sweetnut]

f*** this shit, I need to get some sleep before getting up for work. Oh well.
See you tomorrow.

 

[elmaco]

man just start the game. Have some balls.

Didn't they implement this thing after that one dude died in Peru in 2024 from a lightning strike on the pitch?

 

[Sweetnut]

man just start the game. Have some balls.

They only need one ball.

 

[Sol]

They only need one ball.

Lance Armstrong approves

 

[Tryamw]

They only need one ball.

Austria Argentina had 2 for a bit IIRC

 

[Osprey]

I asked Gemini how serious of a threat lightning is to soccer games. Here's what it said, if you need something to read while waiting for the match to resume:

Lightning is one of the most taken-seriously threats in outdoor sports because it has a horrific track record of hitting soccer pitches.

Because soccer is played on massive, wide-open grass fields—often with tall metal goalposts and players wearing metal-tipped or wet cleats—the pitch essentially becomes a giant lightning rod.

There are several high-profile, tragic instances of this happening in soccer history:

• Peru (2024): A match between Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca was halted due to an incoming storm. As the players were actively walking off the pitch, a bolt struck, instantly killing 34-year-old defender Hugo de la Cruz and injuring five other players.
• Indonesia (2024): A 35-year-old player tragically passed away after being struck directly by lightning mid-match during a friendly game at Siliwangi Stadium.
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (1998): In one of the most famous and bizarre weather disasters in sports history, a single bolt of lightning struck the field during a match between Bena Tshadi and Basanga. All 11 players on the Bena Tshadi team were killed, while the opposing team miraculously walked away unharmed (sparking intense local rumors of witchcraft, though scientists pointed to differences in the teams' footwear and ground-conduction).

The "8-Mile" Rule​

According to a study by the National Weather Service, soccer accounts for roughly 41% of all sports-related lightning deaths, which is the highest of any outdoor sport.

Because of this, FIFA and North American sports governing bodies enforce a strict 8-mile rule. If a lightning strike is detected within an 8-mile radius of the stadium, play is immediately suspended, and the entire seating bowl must be evacuated.

The most frustrating part for fans in attendance is that every single subsequent lightning strike resets that 30-minute countdown clock back to zero, which is why these open-air delays can sometimes drag on for hours.

That Congo incident in 1998 is wild.

 

[bluesfan94]

Wonder if this hits the New York match, too.

 

[GKJ]

It was another small red cell passing through. It’s going to rain again, just a matter of how intense. The radar isn’t currently showing that it will be heavy.