HOUSTON (AP) — Spectators at Saturday's Netherlands-Sweden World Cup game were told to shelter in place at the end of the contest because of lightning in the area.
Shortly after the final whistle blew for the Netherlands' 5-1 win, an announcement was made and a warning was posted on the giant video boards at both ends of the stadium.
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The video screen shows the final score and a Shelter in Place order due to the weather after the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk, right, and his teammates celebrate at the the end of the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The video screen shows the final score and a Shelter in Place order due to the weather at the the end of the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The video screen shows the final score and a Shelter in Place order due to the weather at the the end of the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Stadium officials weren't physically stopping fans from exiting, but urged them to stay inside the stadium for about 30 minutes after the match ended as rain swept through the area. An email to FIFA requesting the exact time that the shelter in place was lifted was not immediately answered.
The crowd of 68,777, which was overwhelmingly pro-Netherlands, danced and cheered as music played while waiting for the all-clear to exit Houston Stadium – FIFA’s name for the stadium that is home to the Houston Texans and known to NFL fans as NRG Stadium.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
The video screen shows the final score and a Shelter in Place order due to the weather after the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk, right, and his teammates celebrate at the the end of the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The video screen shows the final score and a Shelter in Place order due to the weather at the the end of the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The video screen shows the final score and a Shelter in Place order due to the weather at the the end of the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
