PHILADELPHIA — In the birthplace of the U.S. on its 250th anniversary, France and Paraguay battled in a blisteringly hot World Cup knockout match.
France knocked out Paraguay with a 1–0 win in the round of 16 in Philadelphia on Saturday evening. The players, and the official sell-out crowd of 68,324 people, endured one of the all-time hottest World Cup matches, with many fans baking in sun for the entire game.
The temperature was 99 degrees at kickoff at 5 p.m. ET. The sun was strong and the air felt thick in the seats that got direct sunlight, though it was breezy in the upper levels of the stadium. By the start of the second half, around 6:10 p.m., most of the field was shaded. The temperature was 97 degrees.
FIFA put large paper cards, or tifos, on each seat ahead of the match that it created to use as a patriotic display for the Fourth of July, but the sheets also doubled as a paper fan—and for some in attendance, sun shades and even hats. Fans sat in the shaded concourse before the match began, and many waited in a long line for Italian ice. Some had electronic fans around their necks, others wore towels on their heads.
Like most World Cup matches, the price for tickets to the match climbed on secondary markets after the tournament began, then fell in the past weeks. The get-in price is about the same as it was a month ago, but 68% lower than it was two weeks ago, according to resale market tracker TicketData. Throughout the past three days, the get-in price rose 8% to $1,040 in the hours before the game, according to the company. Marie Pierre, a Philadelphian originally from Paris, told Front Office Sports she bought tickets for her family of four at close to $2,000 apiece this week.
