During a weather stoppage of more than two hours in France’s match against Iraq, the stadium announcer shouted that everyone had endured a rough night.
It proved a tough evening for the players, coaches and all 68,344 supporters inside Philadelphia Stadium.
Kicking off at 17:00 local time, the game did not conclude until 20:47 due to safety concerns amid severe weather.
Rain was falling and storm clouds were gathering when Canadian referee Drew Fischer ended the first half at 17:49 with France ahead 1-0.
Conditions then worsened with heavier rain and a thunderstorm threat in the area.
Play did not resume until 20:00, once it was finally deemed safe.
France made up for lost time, adding two more goals to win 3-0, with captain Kylian Mbappe scoring twice on his 100th cap as Les Bleus advanced to the last 32.
There was no hydration break after the restart, and only two minutes of stoppage time were added at the end.
Mbappe described it as a very long evening.
He said the extended wait was emotionally and mentally draining, as the team had to remain fully focused in the dressing room.
Spending nearly two hours inside while staying sharp was difficult, he added, praising the considerable effort from both players and staff.
As for how they passed the time, Didier Deschamps joked about playing cards.
He then explained they were mostly waiting as potential restart windows kept getting pushed back.
Deschamps said he actually enjoyed spending time with his players and keeping spirits up.
He stressed that safety comes first—you can’t fight the rain and lightning.
He wasn’t annoyed by the situation, hoped it wouldn’t be repeated, and emphasized that taking no risks was the right call.