The World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, and it’s set to take place at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 3 p.m.
The early forecast for the game expects some chance of rain. Thunderstorms are not ruled out, which, unlike rain, could delay or postpone the game.
Will it rain in New Jersey during the World Cup final?
AccuWeather’s forecast calls for a cloudy day with a couple of showers in East Rutherford. Its forecast anticipates a 62% chance of precipitation and a 12% chance of thunderstorms.
However, it is difficult to offer a summer forecast more than seven days ahead, as pop-up showers and thunderstorms are quite unpredictable, said Kyle Leahy, lead meteorologist at WeatherWorks, a New Jersey-based forecasting company.
There is more confidence that temperatures are likely to be below normal, which might keep players safe from extreme heat impacts, Leahy said.
“With cooler weather can come a lower than normal risk for typical pop-up thunderstorms. However, there’s a shot that this cooler airmass can carry in a more organized area of low pressure, leading to a higher risk for inclement weather,” he added.
In tune with AccuWeather, Leahy expects a 55% to 65% chance of precipitation during the World Cup final. Four to five days before the game will be a better time to get a clearer picture of the weather outlook.
Do soccer games get canceled because of rain? What are FIFA rules?
Seeing soaking wet players on the pitch is normal in soccer. Rain is not a cause for cancellations unless the field is so waterlogged that it makes it hard for the ball to roll.
Lightning, on the other hand, would delay or cancel a game immediately.
FIFA’s 2026 protocol establishes that any game will be immediately halted if lightning is detected within an 8-mile radius of the stadium. If that happens, the game would be delayed for 30 minutes. If another lightning strike is detected within that period, the 30-minute timer resets.
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today network. He covers weather, and national events focusing on how they affect New Jersey
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: World Cup final is in New Jersey and the forecast calls for rain
