Officials in New York and New Jersey have introduced an air quality health alert after smoke from Canadian wildfires spread across the region just days before the World Cup final.
The haze has covered the New York area, leading authorities to advise people to limit outdoor activity and remain inside whenever possible. The warning comes shortly before the meeting between Spain and Argentina at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, scheduled for Sunday, 19 July, at 20:00 BST.
The open-air venue is expected to welcome more than 80,000 supporters for the final, which will also feature a major half-time performance. At present, there are no indications that the match will be impacted by the conditions.
The situation improved slightly compared with the severe smoke pollution experienced in New York in June 2023, when wildfire smoke turned the sky orange across the city.
Spain arrive as conditions worsen
The air quality became noticeably worse shortly before Spain arrived in New Jersey on Wednesday evening, only a day after their semi-final victory over France in Texas.
Despite the difficult conditions, Spain continued with outdoor training on Thursday and appeared unaffected by the smoky atmosphere. The team has not made any public comments about concerns surrounding the air quality.
Argentina took a different approach after beating England in their semifinal, remaining in Georgia before travelling to New Jersey. The team is scheduled to begin preparations there on Friday afternoon.
The changing conditions have also affected people working around the stadium. Contractor Dan Edgar revealed that his daughter Kaitlynn, who is due to dance and perform during the final, was practising at the venue on Thursday and struggled with the atmosphere.
“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 already dealing with difficult conditions
Footballers have already experienced the combination of smoke and high temperatures in recent days. A National Women’s Soccer League match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit went ahead at Citi Field in Queens on Wednesday despite the orange-coloured haze.
Because of the air quality index, players were required to take two additional breaks during each half under league regulations.
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman admitted the conditions were challenging after the game and suggested the match should not have taken place.
“Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, ‘another break, another break, another break’,” Rodman said.
The forecast offers hope before the final
The air quality around New York and New Jersey is expected to improve on Friday, while predicted rainfall on Saturday could help clear some of the remaining smoke.
Elsewhere, poor air conditions have already caused football disruption, with Thursday’s Major League Soccer fixture between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps postponed due to pollution levels in the Chicago area.
The match had been expected to feature former Bayern Munich and Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski, who was preparing to make his debut for Chicago after joining the club as a free agent last month.