PHILADELPHIA — When France and Paraguay kick off at 5 pm for the World Cup’s marquee Fourth of July match in Philadelphia, the temperature at the outdoor stadium will be around 100 degrees.
The U.S. is undergoing a heat wave this week that is particularly strong in the Northeast. Highs have hovered around 100 degrees since Wednesday. Saturday’s round of 16 match is the first that will be played outdoors in that weather, although Friday’s matches in Miami and Kansas City were also notably hot, each around 87 degrees at kickoff.
Temperatures are supposed to slightly drop before Sunday’s match between Brazil and Norway in New Jersey.
The round of 16 match will have some of the harshest weather conditions of the tournament. Other matches have been impacted by rain and lightning delays, including one in Philadelphia during France’s group stage win over Iraq.
FIFA has not indicated moving the match any later in the evening to avoid the high temperatures. Such a decision wouldn’t have collided with any other matches, as the only other Round of 16 game on Saturday was Canada–Morocco, which kicked off earlier in the afternoon in Houston.
