Supporters endured significant delays entering New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of Sunday's 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, with increased security precautions in place owing to the presence of US President Donald Trump.
The tournament's highlight event, which begins at 3:00pm local time (8:00PM WAT), will take place in the stadium with a capacity of 82,500.
According to BBC Sport, fans have been waiting for up to two hours to obtain admission as security measures have been tightened for the president's arrival. Trump is going to his only World Cup match of the tournament.
The United States Secret Service is overseeing security operations at the stadium, in collaboration with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which generally controls airport security across the country.
Supporters and accredited journalists were obliged to go through airport-style security check before entering the arena.
One member of the media reported being routed to another entrance after arriving at a gate with no security dogs available to do bag searches.
According to reports, larger-than-usual crowds arrived well before kickoff, which contributed to the delays.
Volunteers at the stadium claimed that much more fans arrived early than in the previous seven World Cup matches held there.
The stadium gates opened at 11:00 a.m. local time, four hours before kickoff, with organisers opening additional entrances throughout the day to reduce congestion.
Despite the long lines, there was no hint that the match would be postponed, and officials did not anticipate any interruption to the planned kick-off between Spain and defending champions Argentina.
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