Spain’s final practice before the World Cup decider was scrapped on Saturday after severe thunderstorms swept through New York and New Jersey.
Luis de la Fuente’s squad had been set to work out at the Melanie Lane training ground in New Jersey. The session was first paused and then fully cancelled. Around five miles away in Morristown, Argentina managed to train after a 45-minute delay.
The two sides—Spain and defending champions Argentina—meet in Sunday’s final at 20:00 BST at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said the city was under a flood advisory and urged residents not to risk their safety. The Spanish federation (RFEF) said the session was halted under U.S. storm safety rules, with players moving indoors for warm-ups.
Under U.S. protocol, outdoor events must stop if lightning is detected within eight miles, and can only resume after 30 minutes without further strikes. Fifa confirmed there would be no alternative training slot for Spain on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, authorities in New York and New Jersey issued an air quality alert due to haze from Canadian wildfires. Spain reached the final by beating France 2-0 on Tuesday, while Argentina came from behind to defeat England 2-1 on Wednesday.