The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain is not under threat despite air quality warnings in the New York and New Jersey area, with officials and weather forecasters saying conditions were improving ahead of Sunday’s Fifa Final Match at MetLife Stadium.
Wildfire smoke from Canada has affected much of the northeastern U.S. this week, prompting health alerts and raising questions about how outdoor events would be handled. But FIFA was not believed to be worried about canceling the final, even as the region continued to deal with lingering smoke and changing weather.
Smoke and health alerts continue, but conditions are easing
The New York Office of Emergency Management described the air quality as very unhealthy on Thursday and then said on Friday that it was unhealthy for everyone. The National Weather Service in New York said smoke was still lingering, especially farther south, but added that it should be less intense than the previous day in the region. Forecasters also said the smoke could thicken again overnight into Saturday morning.
There was still weather to monitor before the final. Up to 1.25 inches of rain were expected to fall on Saturday, one day before Argentina and Spain were scheduled to play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Other matches have already been affected
The situation was not without precedent during this stretch of the tournament. On Thursday, the Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire at Chicago's Soldier Field was postponed because of poor air quality. Spain also practiced outdoors in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday in hazardous conditions.
World Cup weather issues have surfaced before as well, including a delayed England vs. Mexico game in Mexico City and a long halt in France vs. Iraq. Those examples have added context to the concern, but they have not changed the basic outlook for Sunday’s final.
Spain midfielder Mikel Merino said players have to block out outside distractions in a game of this size, while also noting that the federation and organizers are taking care of the details. That is the key message heading into the weekend: the air quality is a concern, but not one that is expected to derail the World Cup final.
There is still a busy finish to the tournament. England and France are scheduled to play in the third-place playoff in Miami on Saturday, while the final remains set for Sunday in New Jersey.
