BREAKING: Benfica vs Chelsea Club World Cup clash suspended

Play has been suspended in the Club World Cup last 16 clash between Chelsea and Benfica because of the threat of a thunderstorm in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The match only had four minutes left to play, with Chelsea leading 1-0 and heading for the quarter-finals when the players were called off the pitch due to dark clouds overhead and the threat of a thunderstorm in the air.

The players were quickly taken off the pitch as a result of the adverse weather conditions with some wait for play to resume.

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An announcement inside the stadium told supporters that play would be halted for 30 minutes due to the thunderstorm and that every lightning strike within a 10-mile radius would reset that timer, so there is no knowing as yet how long this delay could go on for.

Bobby Vincent, who is at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, said: "You could see the dark clouds beginning to roll over and there was a sense a thunderstorm was on the way. When the stadium announcer confirmed the match will be suspended, the referee then told the players and the majority of them did not seem too pleased to be leaving the pitch.

"Fortunately, I am inside the stadium in the press room. However, the seats are now empty, with supporters gathering in the concourse. We are told every time there is a strike of lightning within a 10-mile radius, the 30-minute timer resets. So we could well be here a while yet."

Chelsea will be back in the dressing room pretty unhappy with the decision to take the teams off, given they were just four mintues away from reaching the quarter-finals. Palmeiras await in the last eight having beaten Botafogo already in their last 16 encounter.

After an initial 30-minute delay, play was confirmed as getting back under way at 11.35pm UK time, with the players coming back for a warm-up at 11.25pm.