Officials in New York and New Jersey have issued an air quality health alert as wildfire smoke from Canada blankets the region just days before the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
The haze has prompted authorities to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and remain indoors where possible. However, there is currently no indication that Sunday’s final at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be disrupted.
Spain arrived in New Jersey on Wednesday night after defeating France in the semi-finals in Texas and trained outdoors on Thursday without appearing affected by the smoky conditions. The team has not expressed any concerns about the air quality.
Argentina, who defeated England in their semi-final, remained in Georgia following their victory but are scheduled to begin training in New Jersey on Friday afternoon.
The smoky conditions have already affected activities around the stadium. Dan Edgar, whose daughter Kaitlynn is rehearsing for the World Cup final’s entertainment programme, said she found it difficult to perform outdoors.
“She’s texting me that it’s bad out there,” Edgar said. “It’s hard to dance, she says you can feel the air, it’s heavy.”
Players in the National Women’s Soccer League also experienced the poor air quality during Wednesday’s match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit at Citi Field in Queens. Under league policy, the air quality index required officials to introduce two hydration and recovery breaks in each half.
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman said the smoky conditions made the match difficult and questioned whether it should have gone ahead.
“Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, ‘another break, another break, another break’,” Rodman said after the game.
While the haze has revived memories of June 2023, when Canadian wildfires turned New York’s skies orange, officials say current conditions are less severe.
Weather forecasts indicate air quality is expected to improve on Friday, with rain predicted on Saturday likely to help clear the remaining smoke before the final.
Elsewhere, Major League Soccer postponed Thursday’s fixture between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps due to hazardous air quality in the Chicago area. The match was set to feature the highly anticipated debut of former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski for Chicago Fire after his recent free-agent move.
