England’s World Cup travel plans hit by Miami storm disruption

Severe weather in Miami has delayed England’s arrival for their World Cup third-place play-off against France, extending a tournament repeatedly disrupted by North American storms.

The squad had been due to fly from their base in Kansas City after a final training session on Friday morning and land in time for manager Thomas Tuchel and defender John Stones to hold a pre-match news conference at 18:30 local time (23:30 BST) at Hard Rock Stadium.

But forecasts of thunder and lightning between 15:00 and 18:00 in Miami forced a change of plan and pushed back England’s travel schedule, according to UK newspaper The Sun.

News conference pushed back

Tournament organisers have moved Tuchel’s media briefing to 19:30 in Miami (00:30 BST), dependent on an improvement in conditions and the team’s revised arrival time.

The third-place play-off itself is scheduled to kick off on Saturday at 17:00 in Miami (22:00 BST). Meteorologists currently expect the most intense storms to bypass the city by then, although officials are keeping a close watch on shifting weather patterns that have already played havoc with the World Cup timetable.

England are set to return home on Sunday after facing France, regardless of the final outcome of the match.

Weather woes follow England across US and Mexico

This is not the first time England’s campaign in North America has been affected by extreme weather.

Their warm-up friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando on 10 June was delayed by an hour because of a storm, before eventually going ahead and ending in a 3-0 victory.

More controversy followed in the last 16 against Mexico in Mexico City. The original plan to bring the match forward by eight hours to a lunchtime kick-off instead of the scheduled 20:00 start because of poor weather forecasts provoked a strong reaction from both camps.

After protests by the two federations to FIFA, the fixture was restored to its initial evening slot, only to be pushed back a further hour at short notice when another storm swept in. When play finally began, England edged a dramatic contest 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals in one of the standout games of their tournament.

Argentina preparations also hit

England are not alone in battling the elements during the closing stages of the competition.

Argentina, preparing for Sunday’s final against Spain, have faced similar disruption, with Lionel Messi and his team-mates stranded in Atlanta after thunderstorms grounded flights and restricted movements around the city.

The hold-up has cut into Argentina’s schedule ahead of the showpiece, limiting time for tactical work and recovery at their intended base. It also adds a layer of uncertainty to travel logistics for both teams and officials in the build-up to the final.

With back-to-back matches the third-place play-off and the final set for the weekend, organisers and teams are working to navigate a volatile weather pattern that has overshadowed some of the World Cup’s biggest moments.