After the 2-1 comeback victory against England in the semi-final match held in Atlanta on the evening of July 15 (local time), coach Lionel Scaloni's team is expected to leave this city on July 16 to go to New York, preparing for the final match with Spain at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey) on July 19.
However, bad weather prevented the Argentine team's flight from taking off as planned. All players, coaching staff and members of the Argentine delegation had to wait at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport until aviation operations were restored.
The incident affected the defending champion's preparation plan. According to international media, if they cannot depart before the morning of July 17, Argentina will only have more than a full day in New York to train and complete the final preparations before the final match. In normal conditions, the flight from Atlanta to New York will only take about 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The Argentine team then arrived in New York in the early morning of July 17, meaning that the preparation time for the most important match of the tournament was significantly shortened.
At the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi continued to show impressive form when scoring 8 goals, temporarily leading the race for the Golden Boot title and making a great contribution to bringing Argentina to the final.
Meanwhile, the Spanish national team arrived in New Jersey early and began the preparation process after defeating France 2-0 in the semi-finals.
The 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will take place on July 19 (local time).
