World Cup final under threat despite FIFA decision as fears of delays intensify
There was perhaps always likely to be one final twist at this World Cup and it appears as if the final could now be under threat.
Although we have had plenty of controversy both on and off the pitch this summer, the tournament has run pretty smoothly when it comes to the organisation of things.
Splitting between the US, Canada and Mexico has proven to be manageable, even if the players have had to deal with sweltering conditions on some occasions, which of course led to the unpopular hydration breaks throughout the tournament.
Weather has only really caused issues on two occasions, when France Iraq was delayed for several hours in the group stages, and when England's trip to face Mexico at the Azteca was also delayed by an hour, after the kick-off time was set to change but then remained the same.
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However, thunderstorms and flash foods have now arrived in New York at exactly the wrong time, as Spain prepare to face holders Argentina in the final, after England and France played out a 10-goal thriller in last night's third-place playoff.
Although FIFA were aware of the weather and suggested yesterday that the final would still kick off at 3pm local time (8pm UK time), the 'dangerous and life-threatening situation' is continuing to cause real issues for fans and players.
Yesterday, residents in the Big Apple received an alert from the National Weather Service to their phones which stated: “A FLASH FLOOD WARNING is in effect for this area until 3.30pm EDT.
“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.”
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani also issued a statement regarding the weather conditions on his social media.
He said: “Don’t risk your safety in these dangerous conditions. – Exercise caution while traveling.
“Take public transit whenever possible. Never walk, bike, or drive through floodwaters. No destination is worth risking your safety.”
Considering the obscene price of a World Cup final ticket, most fans will definitely feel that the Met Life Stadium is a destination worth risking their safety for this evening, although it seems as if the weather may well have eased up today.
The forecast for East Rutherford today is sunny with just a one per cent chance of rain, but dangerous smoke from wildfires in Canada have also been touted as a potential problem.
A haze is set to be cast over the city and the air quality in New Jersey (where the MetLife Stadium is located) was rated this week as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’.
Although Spanish and Argentinian players might well deal with the intense heat better than English players might have done for example, experts have still raised concern about the playing conditions for tonight's final.
“It not only is going to be terrible, terrible air quality. It's hot, and that can cause an extreme amount of stress on the heart [for players],” Dr Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and board of directors member at the American Lung Association, said per the Daily Mail.
“That is a very powerful and dangerous one-two punch to the human body. It's going to be critical to maintain core body temperatures as low as possible.”
Spain's training session yesterday was also cancelled due to the weather conditions, as a statement from the Spanish Football Federation read: "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.
"The players are currently taking part in a warm-up session indoors."
Hopefully everyone going to the game tonight will arrive safely and we can sit down for a eye-catching tie between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, the man many believe could be his long-term successor.
Topics: New York
James Moorhouse