England vs Argentina weather forecast: Could storms delay World Cup semi-final?

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Evening Standard

15 July 2026

Thundery showers are forecast in Atlanta - but this time there’s a key difference

England

and

Argentina

renew their historic rivalry in the

World Cup 2026

semi-finals tonight.

Wednesday’s blockbuster last-four showdown in Atlanta

marks the first competitive fixture between the countries since the group stage of the 2002

World Cup

in Japan and South Korea.

On that occasion, David Beckham’s penalty just before half-time at the Sapporo Dome - awarded after Mauricio Pochettino had fouled Michael Owen - secured a memorable 1-0 victory for the

Three Lions

It was a hugely cathartic moment for Beckham, whose sending off for kicking out at Diego Simeone four years earlier had proven so costly as

were dumped out of the last 16 on penalties by

after a thrilling 2-2 draw in Saint-Etienne that featured the most iconic goal of Owen’s career as an 18-year-old.

That 1998 clash was of course 12 years after the 1986 quarter-final in Mexico, when Diego Maradona broke English hearts at the Estadio Azteca with his infamous ‘Hand of God’ - which was promptly followed by arguably the greatest goal in

history.

England and

have met only once since 2002, with

winning 3-2 in a friendly in Geneva in November 2005 after Owen’s dramatic late brace.

A young Lionel Messi was suspended for that match after being sent off on his debut and has therefore

never played against England before

in his 205 senior international caps.

Weather disruption: France’s Group I meeting with Iraq was delayed by two hours due to storms in Philadelphia

The weather continues to be a big talking point at this

, with more storms having been feared in Miami on Saturday for England’s quarter-final tie against Norway - just days after kick-off in their

epic last-16 win over Mexico

was

delayed by an hour due to storms in Mexico City

However, thankfully such concerns proved unfounded, with

vs Norway kicking off on time as a

brace from Jude Bellingham saw Thomas Tuchel’s side through in nervy fashion 2-1 after extra time

England now head back to Atlanta, scene of their

late Harry Kane-inspired comeback against DR Congo

in the round of 32 on July 1.

It is also where

Argentina staged their even more incredible fightback to thwart Egypt

in controversial fashion in the round of 16.

The second

2026 semi-final kicks off in the UK at 8pm BST on Wednesday night, which, with the five-hour time difference, is 3pm local time in Atlanta.

The current

weather forecast

in Atlanta is for very warm, humid weather and high temperatures of around 30 degrees - which will feel more like 38 degrees.

Comfortable experience: The Atlanta Stadium has a fully enclosed retractable roof and is air-conditioned throughout

Getty

There is the chance of thundery showers in the area before kick-off at 2pm, then again around 4pm, 5pm and into the evening, according to the BBC.

It is very important to note that Atlanta Stadium - AKA Mercedes-Benz Stadium - has a fully enclosed retractable roof, which will be shut for the game.

While that means the game itself won’t be delayed once it is underway, it remains to be seen if storms in the area could possibly push back the two teams travelling from their respective hotels to the stadium - as

experienced en route to the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City last week.

However, at this stage that seems unlikely.

Atlanta Stadium - the 68,239-capacity home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of MLS - is also fully air-conditioned, meaning spectators, coaches, players and officials will all be protected from the searing Georgia heat.

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