Officials in New York and New Jersey have issued an air quality alert as smoke from wildfires in Canada impacts the region, just days before the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, scheduled for Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
The haze, caused by the wildfires, has prompted officials to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and stay indoors when possible.
Conditions worsened just before the Spanish national team arrived in New Jersey Wednesday night following their semifinal victory against France (2-0) in Dallas, Texas. Despite the air quality issues, coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad trained outdoors without expressing concern about the air conditions.
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Argentina has remained in Georgia after its semifinal win (2-1) over England but is set to begin training in New Jersey this afternoon.
Entrepreneur Dan Edgar shared that his daughter, Kaitlynn, trained Thursday at the New York/New Jersey stadium where she will perform during the final. “She’s been texting me that the air is bad out there,” he said. “It’s tough to exert yourself; she feels the air is heavy.”
The smoky skies and high temperatures have also affected some players. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) held a match Wednesday evening between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit, drawing a record crowd at Citi Field in Queens despite the orange haze.
“The air quality index indicated that players needed to take two breaks per half, as per NWSL protocol. Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit mentioned after the match that the air quality was poor and she believed the game should not have been played,” BBC reported.
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Rodman expressed frustration, stating, “I don’t want to make excuses, but I think we were all thinking, ‘Another break, another break, another break.’”
New Yorkers are relieved that the air conditions are not as severe as in June 2023 when the sky turned completely orange due to the Canadian wildfires.
MetLife Stadium is open-air and lacks a roof, with over 80,000 fans expected for the World Cup final on Sunday night. Participants, including the teams and halftime show performers, may be affected by the air quality.
Americans anticipate that air quality in the area should improve by Friday, while expected rainfall on Saturday may help disperse some of the smoke.
