The Group A match between Brazil's Palmeiras and Egypt's Al Ahly at the 2025 Club World Cup was suspended on Thursday after 60 minutes of play due to an approaching severe storm around the MetLife Stadium.
English referee Anthony Taylor ordered both teams to immediately leave the pitch with Palmeiras leading 2-0. Stadium officials made repeated announcements over the public address system instructing spectators to evacuate their seats and seek shelter in the stadium concourse due to the threat of "severe weather." Despite the warnings, many fans were reportedly slow to comply with the evacuation orders.
This marks the second weather-related disruption at the tournament. Earlier this week, the Group F match in Orlando between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and South Korea's Ulsan experienced a 65-minute delay before kickoff due to lightning threats in the area.
Tournament Facing Weather Challenges
The 2025 Club World Cup has already seen several notable results, including Real Madrid failing to defeat Al Hilal in their opening fixture, and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami unable to overcome Al Ahly in their first game of the tournament.
The expanded tournament format has brought together top clubs from around the world, with Chelsea also participating under new manager Enzo Maresca, who has already identified his standout performer in the competition.
At the time of writing, there was no official announcement regarding when the suspended Palmeiras-Al Ahly match would resume.
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