Storms battering New York City caused flash floods in the hours before the World Cup final.
Both Spain and Argentina were forced to postpone training the night before the final as thunderstorms hit the city, drenching the city in 52.6mm of rain overnight.
Flash floods triggered by the deluge left some cars stranded in the streets of the city.
The storms are the latest episode in a spate of inclement weather which has affected the duration of the World Cup.
#BREAKING: Torrential Rain Triggers Flash Flood Emergency Across New York City
— upuknews (@upuknews1) July 19, 2026
After days of scorching heat and smoky skies caused by wildfires, New York City was hit by torrential rain on Saturday, triggering widespread flash flooding. The intense downpour inundated roads,… pic.twitter.com/qPhU57MVFw
Ahead of tomorrow's final, the weather in New York is... torrential 🤯☔
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 18, 2026
Joe Hart can vouch for that! 😂 pic.twitter.com/hGwqnHK0aG
England were late arriving in Miami the night before their bronze final meeting with France due to another storm, and had their last-16 match against Mexico delayed by an hour for the same reason.
Various other matches have also been delayed, including France’s group stage defeat over Iraq, where half-time lasted close to two hours.
Health concerns were sparked in New York the week before the match as wildfire smoke blown south from Canada engulfed the city, causing officials to issue a public health warning recommending against vigorous outdoor activity.
🏙️FLOODED NYC STREETS 🌊 : The streets of the Soho neighborhood in New York City were flooded after heavy rain and severe thunderstorms swept through the area on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/4e4p8E6IxO
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) July 18, 2026
Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup task force, had admitted that the smoke could impact the final if air quality were too poor on the day.
That does not seem likely to be an issue, though. One benefit of Saturday night’s thunderstorms, though, is the rain has helped disperse the smoke hanging over the city.
With the previous night’s storms now well clear of New York, the World Cup final seems set to get underway as scheduled at 3pm local time (8pm BST).
Temperatures in the city had hit 23C by 9am EST and will only get hotter, with a beating sun helping to dry out the playing surface at the New York/New Jersey Stadium. Temperatures of 27C are expected by kick-off.
