Germany vs Denmark cancelled due to thunderstorms and lightning

The round of 16 match of the 2024 European Championship between Germany and Denmark was interrupted in the first half due to a thunderstorm.

After 38 minutes the score was 0-0 at the Westfalenstadion when referee Michael Oliver decided to stop the game and call the players off the pitch.

Thunderstorms had been forecast for the night from Saturday to Sunday in Dortmund, but they arrived earlier than expected and led to game interruptions.

It rained heavily and hailed heavily, while loud thunder could be heard and lightning could be seen from the stadium.

The players initially retreated to the sidelines before being told to seek shelter in their respective dressing rooms.

UEFA’s rule of thumb is that if lightning strikes within a 10-mile radius, a 30-minute delay is imposed, but there is no set protocol.

The game is scheduled to continue in the evening, but a final decision has yet to be made.

Germany started the match well in dry weather. Nico Schlotterbeck put the ball into the Danish goal after four minutes, but the goal was disallowed due to a block by Joshua Kimmich on Andreas Skov Olsen.

The hosts were better in the first half, but Denmark also had chances through Christian Eriksen and Joakim Maehle.