New York woke up on Thursday to an orange sky. It is not the first time this has happened, as it already occurred in 2023, but the timing makes it a major story.
In less than 72 hours, Spain and Argentina will face off at MetLife Stadium for the 2026 World Cup title, and smoke from forest fires in Ontario has decided to put in an unwelcome appearance.
The phenomenon has a clear origin. Canada is currently battling several hundred active fires, many of them out of control, and air currents have pushed that smoke south-east, covering much of the north-east of the United States from the Great Lakes to New Jersey itself. Adding to the situation is a heat dome which, instead of dispersing the particles, keeps them trapped close to the ground.
Alerts, masks and a roofless stadium
Since Thursday morning, New York authorities have been issuing warnings. The air quality index reached levels considered unhealthy and, although it later improved slightly, the Department of Health is still recommending precautions:
- Limit time spent outdoors.
- Avoid strenuous exercise.
- Pay particular attention to children, older people and anyone with respiratory conditions.
The city has started distributing KN95 masks in libraries, police stations, and fire stations. The detail causing most concern in the run-up to Sunday is structural: the stadium where the final will be played, in East Rutherford, has no roof.
This means that both the players and the roughly 82,500 expected spectators will be directly exposed to the air conditions, whatever they may be that day. Experts warn that a full day of exposure to this type of smoke is equivalent, according to specialists, to smoking ten cigarettes.
Training sessions disrupted, with the match still on for now
The pollution has already affected the teams’ preparations. The Spanish squad, based in New Jersey, had to adjust Thursday’s training session, and the media were only allowed to watch the first few minutes of what was meant to be an hour-long practice. Argentina, by contrast, has been training in the Atlanta area, where the smoke has barely been noticeable.
Neither FIFA nor the local authorities are currently considering postponing or cancelling the match.
Forecasts suggest that the rain expected over the weekend will help clear the air before kick-off, scheduled for 21:00 Argentina time on Sunday. In the meantime, tracking air quality has joined team line-ups as one of the most closely watched issues in the build-up to the final.
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