Desperate Argentina fans have been spotted running across a 10-lane New Jersey highway to make to the World Cup final as travel to MetLife Stadium became a hellscape.
A dozen fans were spotted trotting across busy lanes of traffic with MetLife in sight as some may have traveled from neighboring New York City, which became a nightmare to traverse after torrential rains flooded streets the night before.
Cars had to slow down and stop to allow the stragglers to safely cross.
Although traffic seemed fairly light outside of MetLife on Sunday, it is unclear what caused the fans to risked their lives to cross several lanes on the highway.
More than 80,000 fans are expected to descend on the New Jersey stadium to watch Argentina face Spain in the final at 3pm.
Much of the focus at the tournament has been on the weather, with France and England both seeing games delayed due to nature – be it extreme heat or lightning warnings.
And, for one final time, doubt has been cast over the kick-off time of the final this evening.
The streets of New York were flooded on the eve of the tournament’s finale, with heavy rain causing mayhem. Cars were submerged and pedestrians were seen walking through chest-high water.
A dozen fans were spotted trotting across busy lanes of traffic on Sunday afternoon
More than 80,000 fans are expected to descend on the New Jersey stadium. Cars had to slow down and stop to allow the stragglers to safe cross
Between two and four inches of rain are said to have fallen, with a tornado warning also issued.
A flood watch covering eastern Bergen County, where MetLife is located, northeastern New Jersey and New York City remained in effect until 2am Sunday.
Although the heaviest rain had moved south and east by late Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service warned that further storms could produce rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour.
The final showstopper between Spain and Argentina will be able to go ahead unaffected – but many fans may miss out.
While the worst of the horrific weather had passed by Sunday morning, leaving blue skies in its wake, the torrential conditions of the previous day left mayhem in its wake.
The dangerous conditions caused further turmoil at the region’s three major airports wrecking havoc for the thousands descending on New York and New Jersey.
Hundreds of flights into the New York area from across the United States were rocked by delays, or worse, cancellations as the downpours compounded travel problems.
Argentina plays Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife on Sunday
The stadium was within sight of the fans who raced to make the game
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered multiple ground stops at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark until at least 5pm ET on Saturday due to the thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was flooded, leaving drivers stranded on the washed-out roadway. Many sought safety on the roofs or bonnets of their vehicles as the water in some areas rose as high as car windows.
