With security lines and star-studded spectacle, World Cup prepares for final showdown

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, July 19 - And then there were two.

After nearly six weeks of heroics and heartache, thrills and spills, heat, rain and rowing, New York New Jersey stadium was preparing on Sunday to host the crowning event of the World Cup tournament — the final between coolly confident Spain, aiming for their second world title, and fiery Argentina, defending their crown in what they hope will be the bow on the gift of Lionel Messi's glittering career.

Fears over air quality evaporated along with the thick layer of smoke that had blanketed the region for days, the result of wildfires in Canada. The heat of recent weeks was also tempered, and clear skies and a beautiful day greeted crowds at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

U.S. President Donald Trump's expected attendance at the match added extra layers of security to the world's biggest sporting event. Hundreds of journalists, entertainers, and volunteers waited in snarling lines for up to three hours, with wand-waving Secret Service agents screening entrants. For fans, the entrance lines were quicker but they faced long queues once inside for food and merchandise.

Dressed in the traditional blue and white colours of Argentina or red and yellow of Spain, the supporters were trickling into the stadium hours before the 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT) kickoff, with a pre-match "closing ceremony" featuring Post Malone and Tom Cruise set to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT).

U.S. FLAVOUR

The closing ceremony will also feature American singer Jennifer Hudson delivering a rendition of the U.S. national anthem and tenor Christopher Macchio singing "America the Beautiful," giving a distinctly U.S. flavour to proceedings, which will for the first time since the first World Cup in 1930 feature two Spanish-speaking teams in the final.

The tournament has adopted several American traditions — not without controversy — including "hydration" breaks part-way through each half that broadcasters have used to run more commercials,  and championship rings for the winners.

One more is planned for Sunday's finale, with a star-studded halftime show featuring pop stars Madonna and Shakira added to the programme in the style of a Super Bowl. That is expected to expand the usual 15-minute halftime break to at least 20 minutes and potentially as much as half an hour.

Despite ticket prices running well into the thousands of dollars, visitors have been willing to shell out to watch the intergenerational clash of two of soccer's biggest powers.

Dozens of ticketholders, hoping to snag once-in-a-lifetime mementos, lined up at merchandise kiosks, where jerseys were on sale for $130. Loyalties seemed roughly split between the two teams at the stadium, the home of the NFL's hard luck New York Giants and Jets.

"I was in the final in 2010 in South Africa, when Spain won the other World Cup," said Dxema Azcarate, dressed in a Spain jersey, with the country's flag painted on his cheek. "I'm not sure I'm going to have an opportunity for a third time in my life." REUTERS