In typical Florida fashion, a summer tropical storm swept through Inter&Co Stadium, where the pre-World Cup international friendly between England and Costa Rica is set to be played. After moments of confusion and speculation, a new kickoff time has been set.
“Following a pitch inspection at the stadium, today’s match against Costa Rica will now kick off at 10pm (UK time) – subject to there being no further lightning strikes in the area,” England’s national team announced on social media.
The matchup between England and Costa Rica was originally scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET (9 p.m. UK). As a result of the pouring thunderstorm that caused the delay, the start time has now been pushed back an hour. Still, it’s all subject to change as inclement weather could become present at any given moment and further complicate things.
Due to U.S. regulations and FIFA protocols, if lightning is detected within roughly 8 miles of the stadium, a mandatory shelter-in-place order is implemented. All players and fans must leave their seats and seek shelter until the danger has passed. There is a 30-minute countdown that resets whenever new lightning is detected.
Jude Bellingham is starting for England.
Weather forecast
Considering it’s only a friendly and the 2026 World Cup is right around the corner, there was reason to believe the match could’ve been called off if the weather didn’t improve.
However, these kinds of summer storms are quite common in the Sunshine State, meaning there was a good chance the skies would clear, the pitch drained properly, and the Three Lions and Los Ticos could play their international friendly in Orlando. As it stands, that’s exactly what happened and the game is set to kickoff at 5:00 p.m. ET.
According to the U.S. National Weather Service, though, a flood warning remained in effect until roughly 4:00 p.m. ET. Thus, it was clear the match was never going to start on the original time set.
England’s last game before World Cup
Once the international friendly comes to an end, England will turn its focus entirely to the 2026 World Cup. The Three Lions will make their long-awaited debut against Croatia on June 17 at 4:00 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas. Considering the venue has a roof, there shouldn’t be much reason for concern about a weather-related delay.
