Smoke drifting south from Canadian wildfires has prompted air quality alerts across New York and New Jersey just days before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
Health officials have advised people to avoid prolonged outdoor activity where possible as haze spread across the region, reducing air quality around New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, which will host Sunday’s final.
Spain arrived in New Jersey on Wednesday night after defeating France in the semi-finals in Texas. Despite the smoky conditions, the squad trained outdoors on Thursday without any visible disruption and has not raised concerns publicly.
Argentina remained in Georgia after eliminating England in the other semi-final but are scheduled to hold their first training session in New Jersey on Friday afternoon.
The poor air quality has also affected those preparing for the event. Kaitlynn Edgar, one of the dancers set to perform during the final, told her father the heavy air was making rehearsals more difficult.
The smoky conditions have already impacted professional football in the United States. Gotham FC’s National Women’s Soccer League match against Washington Spirit went ahead on Wednesday evening in New York despite visible haze hanging over Citi Field.
League regulations required officials to introduce two additional hydration breaks in each half because of the air quality index. After the match, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman said the conditions were challenging and believed the game should not have been played.
While the current haze has revived memories of the severe wildfire smoke that turned New York’s skies orange in 2023, officials say this episode is less intense.
There is currently no indication that Sunday’s World Cup final will be affected. More than 80,000 fans are expected to attend the match, which will also feature a major halftime entertainment show.
Forecasts suggest air quality should gradually improve on Friday, while rain expected on Saturday could help clear much of the remaining smoke before kick-off.
The wildfire smoke has already forced schedule changes elsewhere. Major League Soccer postponed Thursday’s match between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps because of hazardous air quality in the Chicago area.
The fixture was due to mark Robert Lewandowski’s first appearance for Chicago following the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker’s arrival as a free agent earlier this summer.