The highly anticipated Liga Portugal clash between FC Porto and Nacional at Estádio da Madeira was suspended after just 18 minutes of play due to heavy fog, which made conditions unplayable.

The game started on time, but visibility on the pitch quickly deteriorated as thick fog came down over the stadium. The referee had no choice but to halt play, citing player safety concerns and visibility problems.

This is the second time this season that Nacional’s home fixture has been affected by fog.

FC Porto have been in good form, winning their last three league matches without conceding a goal.

Nacional, on the other hand, has struggled in recent outings, failing to secure a win in their last three matches and losing two.

The foggy conditions were not entirely unexpected. Vitor Priora, director of the IPMA Meteorological Observatory in Funchal, had earlier warned of unfavorable weather that could impact the match.

The game will resume on Saturday, January 4. This is in line with the Competition Regulation, Article 46, which states that any match postponed or interrupted due to force majeure must take place or be completed within 30 hours. In this regard, two time slots have been identified for potentially resuming the game on Saturday: 12:45 or 15:30 (local time). This is a crucial point as it preserves the recommended rest period for Porto, who will compete in the League Cup semi-final against Sporting in Leiria next Tuesday.