A US weather update has emerged, revealing the chances of England vs Argentina’s World Cup semi-final being delayed in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday night. The Three Lions are through to the final four for just the fourth time in their history after Jude Bellingham scored a brace to help his side come from behind and beat Norway 2-1 at the weekend.

Now, under Thomas Tuchel’s tenacious leadership, they face their biggest obstacle yet. Up against age-old rivals Argentina, England have never beaten a side ranked inside the top four of the FIFA Men’s World Rankings at a major international tournament. They will have to change that if they are to end a 60-year wait to bring football home.

On Wednesday night, they will take on a side still inspired by Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, who helped supercharge the Argentina side that won a third World Cup title in Qatar four years ago. But could the weather also play a role in the semi-final, as it did in Mexico City a couple of rounds earlier?

Atlanta Weather Update Ahead of England vs Argentina Semi-Final

Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

According to The Sun, the weather forecast for Atlanta on Wednesday predicts a 70% chance of light rain with a maximum temperature of 29°C. A humidity level of 77% is forecast, and there’ll be barely any breeze to help things feel cooler, with predictions of a top wind-speed of just 3mph.

On Monday evening, two days out from the game, the city is likely to be hit with heavy thunder and lightning. There is a risk of flooding and temperatures, once more, are going to be in the 30s during this spell, while the threat of more storms remains on Tuesday with “slow-moving downpours” predicted.

This could threaten Tuchel’s preparation for the match – but, fortunately, the action itself should be safe to continue for two key reasons heading into the crunch showdown.

Why England’s Next Match Should Be Safe To Start and Finish On Time

Nathan Ray Seebeck (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Not only does the forecast for storms drop off around 36 hours before kick off (8pm UK time, 5pm for locals), but there is also a roof at the stadium. England have already played in air-conditioned Atlanta during their last-32 win over DR Congo. Argentina were there for the last-16 comeback against Egypt.

But both sides have had to be flexible on matchdays already this tournament. The reigning champions’ victory over Cape Verde in the knockouts was put at risk by storms. Whereas England had their historic Mexico tie delayed by an hour due to wild conditions around the Azteca Stadium.

The weekend also brought worries that England’s Norway match would be set back as well due to stormy weather. Fortunately, despite the American summer causing some issues at the World Cup, it has mostly run on time, and the only thing that is likely to stop this semi from starting as scheduled is if there are problems with either team getting to the ground.

A US weather update has emerged, revealing the chances of England vs Argentina’s World Cup semi-final being delayed in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday night. The Three Lions are through to the final four for just the fourth time in their history after Jude Bellingham scored a brace to help his side come from behind and beat Norway 2-1 at the weekend.

Now, under Thomas Tuchel’s tenacious leadership, they face their biggest obstacle yet. Up against age-old rivals Argentina, England have never beaten a side ranked inside the top four of the FIFA Men’s World Rankings at a major international tournament. They will have to change that if they are to end a 60-year wait to bring football home.

On Wednesday night, they will take on a side still inspired by Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, who helped supercharge the Argentina side that won a third World Cup title in Qatar four years ago. But could the weather also play a role in the semi-final, as it did in Mexico City a couple of rounds earlier?

Atlanta Weather Update Ahead of England vs Argentina Semi-Final

Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

According to The Sun, the weather forecast for Atlanta on Wednesday predicts a 70% chance of light rain with a maximum temperature of 29°C. A humidity level of 77% is forecast, and there’ll be barely any breeze to help things feel cooler, with predictions of a top wind-speed of just 3mph.

On Monday evening, two days out from the game, the city is likely to be hit with heavy thunder and lightning. There is a risk of flooding and temperatures, once more, are going to be in the 30s during this spell, while the threat of more storms remains on Tuesday with “slow-moving downpours” predicted.

This could threaten Tuchel’s preparation for the match – but, fortunately, the action itself should be safe to continue for two key reasons heading into the crunch showdown.

Why England’s Next Match Should Be Safe To Start and Finish On Time

Nathan Ray Seebeck (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Not only does the forecast for storms drop off around 36 hours before kick off (8pm UK time, 5pm for locals), but there is also a roof at the stadium. England have already played in air-conditioned Atlanta during their last-32 win over DR Congo. Argentina were there for the last-16 comeback against Egypt.

But both sides have had to be flexible on matchdays already this tournament. The reigning champions’ victory over Cape Verde in the knockouts was put at risk by storms. Whereas England had their historic Mexico tie delayed by an hour due to wild conditions around the Azteca Stadium.

The weekend also brought worries that England’s Norway match would be set back as well due to stormy weather. Fortunately, despite the American summer causing some issues at the World Cup, it has mostly run on time, and the only thing that is likely to stop this semi from starting as scheduled is if there are problems with either team getting to the ground.

Dutch referee Rob Dieperink has passed away at just 38 years old, weeks after being dropped from the 2026 World Cup.

The cause of his death has not been disclosed, but the police have launched an ‘investigation following a deceased person’ in the street where Dieperink lived, according to AD.

He was originally scheduled to officiate at this summer’s World Cup in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. However, he was left at home by FIFA after he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. That case has since been dropped.

Nathan Ray Seebeck (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

The FIFA official’s death was confirmed in a statement by the Dutch Football Association on Monday afternoon. The statement read (per Daily Mail):

He was reportedly ‘very sad’ to have been removed from the World Cup as FIFA released a statement, which said: “FIFA can confirm that Rob Dieperink has been removed from the list of FIFA World Cup match officials.”

The referee had been accused of attempting to lure a boy to his hotel room before Crystal Palace’s UEFA Europa Conference League clash against Fiorentina. Dieperink had flown out to referee the match but was arrested in front of UEFA officials upon his return.

The case was later dropped, with a Met spokesperson stating: “On Thursday, 9 April, officers responded to a report of a sexual assault against a teenage boy, which occurred at an address on Wellesley Road, Croydon. A man in his 30s was subsequently arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

“Officers completed a thorough investigation and reviewed all available evidence, including gathering CCTV and examining digital devices. Following these enquiries, they concluded that the evidential threshold had not been met. No further action will be taken.”

Dieperink Spoke Out on Dropped Case

Speaking to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf after his case was dropped, the 38-year-old addressed his emotions after being taken off FIFA’s list of officials.

He said: “It makes me very sad that I have been wrongly accused. I fully cooperated with the police investigation and also immediately gave full openness to FIFA, UEFA and the KNVB (Dutch FA).