New Jersey-New York World Cup final faces air quality concerns from Canadian wildfire smoke

By George Aldridge — 18 July 2026 — 3 min read

The World Cup final in New Jersey-New York is taking place amid concerns over air quality due to dense wildfire smoke from Canada. This smoke has led to unhealthy air quality alerts across various parts of the United States. Winds carrying the smoke south impacted areas including Washington DC, which registered a “very unhealthy” ranking on the air quality index on Friday, prompting advisories for people to avoid non-essential outdoor activities.

In the New York metro area, including neighbouring New Jersey where the final is scheduled, the air quality was deemed potentially unhealthy for sensitive groups. This marked an improvement from Thursday, when smog was so thick it obscured the Manhattan skyline. Detroit and Chicago recorded “hazardous” air quality readings, with one tracker identifying them as among the most polluted cities globally.

Impact on the final and team preparations

Forecasters from the National Weather Service warned that the smoke could intensify overnight into Saturday morning. Despite these concerns, FIFA confirmed on Friday that the negative air quality from the wildfires does not currently pose a threat to the World Cup final. Earlier in the day, tournament organisers stated they were closely monitoring the situation.

Spain‘s players conducted an outdoor practice session on Thursday in northern New Jersey, even as the air conditions were hazardous due to the Canadian wildfire smoke. Media were allowed to observe the initial 15 minutes of the scheduled hour-long session. Meanwhile, Argentina remained in the Atlanta area for their training, a location far enough south to avoid the direct effects of the smoke, which is being carried southeast from northern Ontario.

Medical experts expressed reservations about outdoor practice in such conditions. Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician, suggested that high-level athletes should avoid outdoor practice when air quality levels are in hazardous ranges. She recommended using air-conditioned indoor facilities as a cleaner alternative. Similarly, Mary Johnson, an environmental health research scientist, noted that exercising in smoke means inhaling more pollutants, which can have health effects even on healthy individuals.

The air quality in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday began as “unhealthy” but improved to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” by mid-afternoon, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now monitoring system. Particle pollution in New Jersey on Thursday was significantly higher than the World Health Organization standard. The forecast predicts an improvement to “moderate” air quality for Sunday’s final.

Wildfire situation and broader implications

The blazes in Canada were escalating on Friday, with over 200 fires burning out of control, particularly in Ontario. While the current damage is less than Canada’s 2023 wildfire season, which saw nearly 18 million hectares burned, the intensity has rapidly increased over the past week. Approximately 2.8 million hectares have burned since the start of the year, up from nearly 1.6 million hectares just last Friday.

Scientists and advocates have highlighted the link between repeated episodes of wildfire smoke and climate change. Mark Parrington, a scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, explained that climate change contributes to longer fire seasons with higher surface air temperatures and lower soil moisture. This creates conditions where fires can burn for extended periods, sometimes for weeks.

In affected US cities, residents have been seen wearing masks outdoors to filter the air, with libraries and train stations in New York distributing them for free. The upper Midwest, closer to the fires, experienced particularly severe conditions, with parts of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin recording “hazardous” air quality readings for several days. The National Weather Service extended its air quality alert in Chicago through Friday, indicating that wildfire smoke might return on Saturday evening and continue into Sunday.

The World Cup final is expected to draw approximately 80,000 fans to the open-air stadium in the Meadowlands.

Source: aljazeera.com