Argentina in travel chaos as New York impacted ahead of World Cup final

Argentina faced travel disruption as New York was hit ahead of the World Cup final, leaving Lionel Scaloni’s team stranded in Atlanta after adverse weather halted its flight. The reigning world champions had planned to fly to New York on Thursday to start preparations for Sunday’s final against Spain at MetLife Stadium, but severe thunderstorms delayed their arrival. Reports said the squad and delegation remained stuck until flights resumed with authorization following the storms, likely affecting training schedules. Argentina is now expected to make the two-and-a-half hour trip on Friday morning, leaving only Friday evening and Saturday for physical preparation. Separately, New York issued a red air-quality alert due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, and matches were influenced by air conditions in other U.S. cities. The World Cup final is scheduled to kick off at 8pm (BST) on 19 July.