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The World Cup is football's biggest tournament, held every four years and organised by FIFA, the sport's global governing body. This year's edition is being co-hosted across North America, with the final due to take place in the New York and New Jersey area, making it one of the most high-profile events on the international sporting calendar and a major source of income for FIFA through broadcasting, sponsorship and ticket sales.

Demand for tickets, particularly for the final, has been unusually intense, pushing resale prices well beyond their original face value as fans and hospitality providers compete for access to the closing stages. At the same time, the host region has been dealing with flash flooding, a type of sudden, heavy rainfall that can overwhelm drainage systems and disrupt roads, transport and other infrastructure at short notice.

These two threads matter together because they highlight the scale and pressure surrounding the tournament's finale: FIFA's financial success depends partly on large numbers of fans travelling to and gathering in one place, while extreme weather in that same location raises practical questions about safety and organisation as the event reaches its climax.