Thick smoke and hazy skies from Canadian wildfires are causing concern in northern New Jersey, where Spain and Argentina are preparing to meet in the World Cup final on Sunday. Despite the poor air quality, Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino said the team is trying to focus entirely on the match.
It is still not certain how much the smoke will disrupt the final. The World Health Organization expects conditions in East Rutherford to improve to a moderate level by Sunday. Merino explained on Friday that players must block out external factors for such a significant match, and that tournament organisers are managing the details carefully.
The Spanish squad trained outdoors in hazardous conditions in East Hanover on Thursday. The decision worried health experts, who suggested the session should have taken place indoors. FIFA and the Spanish Football Association did not respond to questions about whether they considered an indoor training alternative.
Air quality saw some improvement on Friday, but weather experts are uncertain about what will happen after a heavy downpour forecast for Saturday. Up to 3.17 centimetres of rain is expected to fall across the region.
Senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, Mark Parrington, warned that another mass of smoky air is moving behind the rain system. He noted that if the wildfires intensify on Saturday, more smoke could rapidly push into New York and New Jersey just in time for Sunday's match.
Medical studies indicate that wildfire smoke, which is becoming more common as global temperatures rise, poses serious health risks and causes tens of thousands of deaths annually. The smoke irritates the human body immediately, causing an increase in emergency ambulance calls for asthma within hours. Doctors state that the smoke triggers widespread inflammation, often attacking a person's weakest physical points.
Parrington advised that people should minimise outdoor exercise when air pollution levels are high. He noted that respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular issues are major risks, particularly for vulnerable people with existing health conditions.
The environmental issue has reached the highest political levels. United States President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the situation. The White House FIFA Task Force executive director, Andrew Giuliani, has also been monitoring the wildfire situation alongside football officials.
Around 80,000 fans are expected to attend the final on Sunday. The match will take place in the massive, open-air Meadowlands stadium, which serves as the regular home for the New York Giants and New York Jets American football teams.
.jpg "Messi remains Golden Ball favourite, Mbappé leads scoreboard")
