Spain cancel final World Cup tuneup; Argentina practice after weather delay

Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul, Lionel Messi and Leandro Paredes during training. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Spain were forced to cancel their final training session on Saturday ahead of the World Cup final due to thunderstorms in New Jersey.

The weather system also affected Spain's opponent, Argentina, although the latter held practice after a delay of roughly 45 minutes.

The two nations will battle for the title on Sunday at East Rutherford, NJ.

Under tournament protocol, training must be postponed if lightning is detected within an 8-mile radius. Lightning is typically checked every 30 minutes until it is safe to resume activity. The protocol has delayed several matches throughout the tournament, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

With a steady rain throughout the morning and into the early afternoon, Spain waited out the storm for around 40 minutes before opting to cancel.

Though the inclement weather affected the final practices, the rain was expected to clear the haze in the area caused by the Canadian wildfires. That should make for better conditions for Sunday's 3pm final at MetLife Stadium.

The Air Quality Index, which was at 160 on Saturday and considered to be an "unhealthy" level, also is predicted to drop to 100 -- a "moderate" level -- by Sunday.