Why kick-off was delayed in Germany's Nations League showdown against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal - explained

UEFA had said that Germany's clash with Portugal in the Nations League semi-finals would still go ahead on Wednesday evening despite warnings of storms that could batter Munich. The governing body was "continuing to monitor the meteorological situation closely along with the relevant local authorities", per the Associated Press, and fans were told to allow for extra time to travel to the Allianz Arena.

As the players reached the Allianz Arena and took the field to warm up ahead of kick-off, a massive hailstorm hit Munich, which forced UEFA to delay the kick-off. The governing body released a statement that read: "Kick-off delayed due to adverse weather conditions affecting the warm-up of the teams."

Per Accuweather, a "severe weather watch" was in place for severe thunderstorms. Given the intensity of rain, and the warm weather - it is a little less than 20 degrees in Munich.

Despite the delay, the game still goes ahead with both nations looking to reach the final after a gruelling club season. In the other semi-final, Spain play France on Friday in Stuttgart.