New York has issued an air quality alert just days before the FIFA World Cup final as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket the region.
The final between Spain and Argentina is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The haze prompted health officials to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and stay indoors where possible.
Air quality deteriorated shortly before Spain arrived in New Jersey on Wednesday night following their semi-final victory over France in Texas.
Despite the conditions, Spain trained outdoors on Thursday and has not expressed concerns about the air quality.
Argentina remained in Georgia after defeating England in the semi-finals and is expected to begin training in New Jersey on Friday afternoon.
Contractor Dan Edgar said his daughter, Kaitlynn, who is preparing to perform during the World Cup final, found the conditions challenging.
“She’s texting me that it’s bad out there,” he said. “It’s hard to dance, she says you can feel the air, it’s heavy.”
The smoky conditions also affected players in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), where Gotham FC hosted Washington Spirit at Citi Field in New York on Wednesday.
League rules required two hydration and air quality breaks in each half because of the poor conditions.
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman said the match should not 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’,” she said.
Officials have not indicated that the World Cup final will be postponed or disrupted despite the air quality concerns.
The open-air stadium is expected to host more than 80,000 fans, along with a star-studded half-time show.
Forecasters expect air quality to improve on Friday, while rain forecast for Saturday could help clear the smoke before the final.
Meanwhile, Major League Soccer postponed Thursday’s match between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps because of poor air quality in the Chicago area.
The game was expected to feature former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, who recently joined Chicago Fire as a free agent.
