An unexpected subplot has emerged ahead of the FIFA World Cup final: New Jersey weather. With Argentina and Spain finishing up preparations for the most important game of the tournament, severe thunderstorms have forced both sides to adjust their schedules less than 24 hours before the game.
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In a video from DAZN Futbol posted to X, journalist Javier Valle addresses the viewers from outside the Argentinian practice. And Mario Nawfal, who is a Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur and business professional, translated it:
“Both Spain and Argentina are based in New Jersey ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup final,” Nawfal wrote on X. “Spain’s training got fully canceled today due to thunderstorms and strict lightning safety protocols. Argentina faced the same storms but only had a delay and managed to train later.”
So, in the end, Argentina is training, while Spain is not.
At first, it had seemed like neither team would be able to practice. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has even put out a statement saying that the city is under a floor advisory, and has instructed citizens not to “risk your safety in these dangerous conditions.”
Additionally, even the Spanish federation has released a statement about their players.
“The Spanish national team’s training session on the pitches at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in New Jersey has been suspended in accordance with the US storm safety protocol,” it read. “The players are currently taking part in a warm-up session indoors.”
According to reports, Spain was given a short training window, which they decided to abstain from. Argentina, which was about five miles away from them in Morristown, was eventually able to practice following a 45-minute delay.
The precise reason for the delays is because of outdoor sport policies in the United States. Typical protocol involves all activities being suspended when lightning is detected nearby, and a 30-minute wait after the last lightning strike before the event can be resumed.
That said, Argentina has faced difficulties of its own. The weather caused their flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to be delayed from July 16 to the next day, causing them to have just one day for practice. Now, that figure has dropped even further because of the storms.
The final training session before the final is usually for preserving routine instead of building new habits. With Argentina being able to stick closer to their schedule than Spain, the defending champions might have a slight advantage in the final game of the World Cup.
