Spain’s preparations for the World Cup final were thrown into disarray on Saturday as heavy thunderstorms in New Jersey forced the cancellation of their final training session. Luis de la Fuente’s side were due to train at the Melanie Lane training ground in Whippany, but after an initial suspension, the session was called off entirely, with players confined to an extended gym indoors.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said in a statement: “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.”
“Thunderstorms in New Jersey forced Spain to cancel their final World Cup final training, while Argentina trained after a delay.”
US protocol dictates that any outdoor sporting event must be suspended if lightning or electrical activity is detected within an eight-mile radius, and can only resume after 30 minutes without further strikes. So intense were the storms that New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani issued a flood advisory, urging residents not to “risk your safety in these dangerous conditions.”
Meanwhile, about five miles away in Morristown, Argentina — Spain’s opponents in Sunday’s final — were able to train after a 45-minute delay, eventually emerging on the rain-soaked turf at the Red Bulls Performance Center. The disruption added to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s frustrations; he had earlier complained about FIFA ordering Friday’s session at an unwanted time. “Today they forced us to train at a time we didn’t want,” Scaloni said. “We had to do a strange, quick training session, and we could hardly try anything out.”
FIFA confirmed there would be no alternative time slots for Spain to train on Saturday, leaving De la Fuente to make the best of indoor work. The Spain coach, whose side beat France 2-0 in the semi-finals, has no new injury concerns after confirming Lamine Yamal is fit despite a thigh issue. “Just being in a final is a privilege,” De la Fuente said. “I’m not one for cliches. The important thing is to be there. I’d sign up to lose a World Cup final every year. That’s how important it is. And on top of that, having the chance to fight for the win. You have to enjoy it. Against an opponent who has been outstanding ever since Scaloni took over.”
The match takes place at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday at 20:00 BST, with defending champions Argentina seeking to become only the third nation to retain the World Cup. The storms are a final twist in a week that also saw an air quality health alert due to haze from Canadian wildfires — but the show must go on.