England have ridden out thunderstorms in Mexico City and sweltering heat in Miami – next stop: Atlanta.
The Three Lions return to the city where they battled back from a goal down to beat DR Congo in the round of 32 for their biggest game in years: a World Cup semi-final showdown with fierce rivals Argentina.
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It’s the first meeting between the two countries in 21 years, the first at the World Cup since 2002 and the first in a World Cup knockout match since 1998.
And while we could be in for something of a storm on the pitch, the weather forecast looks rather calmer as things stand.
What is the weather forecast for England vs Argentina?
The Met Office is forecasting temperatures of 28C at kick-off time (8pm BST, 3pm local time in Georgia).
There’s also a relatively small, 30 per cent chance of rain in the area.
All of that being said, there’s no need to fear a delay as was the case at the Azteca, where England’s last-16 encounter with Mexico was pushed back by an hour due to thunderstorms in the area.
That meant the game didn’t kick off until 2am, with millions staying up through the night back home to watch Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions pull off an historic victory.
But we can rest assured tonight’s match should get underway as scheduled.
Comfortable conditions
That’s thanks to the state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz Stadium’s jaw-dropping retractable roof.
The roof has been closed throughout the tournament – most recently for Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 last-16 triumph over Egypt – with air conditioning making for comfortable conditions for players and fans alike.
That will come as welcome news to England, who had to contend with temperatures with a real feel of 45C en route to their 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway in Miami on Saturday.
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And that very same roof has seen FIFA break its own World Cup rules…
Football world governing body requires that all stadium branding be covered up for the World Cup in order to protect the competition’s sponsors.
But no reasonable way could be found to obscure the enormous Mercedez-Benz logo on the roof in Atlanta without risking significant damage.
As such, the stadium was granted an exemption for the logo to remain visible (albeit it only will be to anyone who happens to have a bird’s eye view).
England have a 100 per cent record under closed roofs at this summer’s World Cup.
They began their campaign by beating Croatia 4-2 in Dallas, before that tense comeback success against DR Congo in their first knockout game.
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