Severe thunderstorms on 18 July disrupted the schedule for Spain and Argentina’s final training sessions ahead of the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey. The Spanish team did not take to the pitch due to safety protocols, whilst the Argentinians began their session in Morristown with a delay of around 45 minutes. There are no indications that the match is at risk of being cancelled.
Briefly about the main points
- Spain has cancelled training on the pitch due to New Jersey’s thunderstorm protocol.
- All 26 of Spain’s available players took part in an indoor training session.
- Argentina began their training session in Morristown about 45 minutes later.
- Following a delay, the Argentine team held their scheduled training session.
- The forecast for the final is for sunny weather with no thunderstorms.
Spain has switched to working from the office
The Spanish national team’s final training session before the final, due to take place on the pitch at the New York Red Bulls’ training ground, has been cancelled due to New Jersey’s strict safety protocols during thunderstorms, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has announced.
Instead of a full-scale training session outdoors, all 26 players available to head coach Luis de la Fuente took part in an indoor warm-up session. So, the bad weather changed the training format, but the federation has not reported any absences ahead of the decisive match.
Argentina trained after a 45-minute break
The thunderstorms also disrupted the reigning world champions’ schedule. According to Reuters, Argentina’s training session in Morristown began around 45 minutes later than scheduled.
Following the delay, the team held their training session. Consequently, the impact of the bad weather on the two finalists differed: Spain decided not to train outdoors, whilst Argentina merely postponed the start of their session.
The final is scheduled to take place in sunny weather
Spain and Argentina The match will take place on 19 July at 15:00 Eastern Time (22:00 Kyiv time) at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford — which is, in fact, MetLife Stadium. The match will be the 104th and final game of the tournament.
According to the US National Weather Service forecast, sunny weather is expected on match day. Daytime temperatures could reach around 29°C, and a northerly wind with gusts of up to 25 miles per hour is also forecast. The hourly forecast for the start of the match did not indicate any thunderstorms.
Argentina will be aiming for their fourth World Cup title, whilst Spain will be aiming for their second. Given the forecast, temporary issues with the training schedule do not suggest there is any risk of the final being postponed or cancelled.
