Heavy rain battered the New York City area one day before the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, while smoke from Canadian wildfires also continued to create poor air quality. Spain and Argentina will face off Sunday afternoon in the final. Air quality this week, which exceeded 200 on the index on Thursday, adds an extra layer of uncertainty to the biggest game.
Transit Chaos Before Kickoff
Big storms brought flash-flood warnings to New York City on Saturday, impacting many parts of the city with flooding. Roads in New Jersey also flooded, and the FAA issued a ground stop at Newark Airport on Saturday afternoon. MetLife is one of the least accessible venues of the tournament, and many fans take public transit to get to the match. Saturday’s storms hit transit hard: parts of the subway system flooded, Amtrak saw issues and delays, and NJ Transit bus routes were canceled. The Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a major thoroughfare, closed in both directions for about two hours due to flooding. Major highways in New Jersey also shut down because of the storms.
Teams Under Pressure
Amid the bad weather, Spain played it safe. They stayed inside and hit the gym for its final training session on Saturday after their outdoor practice was canceled. Argentina? Following a delay, they braved the elements, including an unhealthy air quality index reading of around 170 and a downpour.
What’s the Air Like for Sunday’s Final?
Looking toward the final earlier in the week, meteorologists had projected that the rain would clear most of the wildfire smoke. As of Saturday, most meteorologists believe some smoke will still be present at the match, but levels will not be dangerous for the general public as they have been for days across the New York metropolitan area. On Saturday afternoon, the government website Air Now forecast that New Jersey would have a moderate air quality index of about 100 on Sunday. The website IQAir predicted an air quality index around 80 in East Rutherford at kickoff Sunday. New York City meteorologist John Davitt posted Saturday morning that the smoke would be gone by the evening. It’s Spain vs. Argentina, World Cup Final time!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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