New York issues air quality health alert ahead of World Cup final

Officials in New York and New Jersey issued an air quality health alert due to wildfire smoke just days before the World Cup final. Haze from Canadian wildfires blanketed the New York region, prompting officials to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and stay indoors if possible.

The New York New Jersey Stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is set to host the final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, 19 July (20:00 BST). Conditions deteriorated just before Spain's arrival in New Jersey on Wednesday night, following their semi-final victory over France in Texas. Spain trained outdoors on Thursday, seemingly unaffected by the air quality, but did not comment on their concerns.

Argentina, who stayed in Georgia after their semi-final win over England, planned to begin training in New Jersey on Friday afternoon. Contractor Dan Edgar shared that his daughter Kaitlynn was practicing at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Thursday, where she would dance and perform during the final. "She's texting me that it's bad out there," he noted. "It's hard to dance; she says you can feel the air, it's heavy."

The hazardous air and extreme temperatures had already impacted some footballers. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) hosted a match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit on Wednesday night at Citi Field in Queens, drawing a record crowd despite the orange haze. Due to the air quality index, NWSL regulations required players to take two breaks per half. Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman remarked after the match that the air quality was poor and believed they should not have played. "Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, ‘another break, another break, another break.’"

Many New Yorkers expressed relief that conditions were not as severe as they had been in June 2023 when the skies turned completely orange due to wildfires. The New York New Jersey Stadium is an open-air facility, but there are currently no indications that the World Cup final, expected to be attended by over 80,000 fans with a star-studded half-time show, will be affected.

Air quality in the area is anticipated to improve on Friday, and forecasted rain on Saturday is expected to help disperse some of the smoke. On Thursday, the Major League Soccer match between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps was postponed due to poor air quality in the Chicago area, where former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was set to make his debut after joining as a free agent the prior month.