Will The World Cup Final Be Affected By Poor Air Quality? What Forecasts Say As Canada Wildfires Rage

July 17, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Topline

Wildfire smoke from Canada continued choking parts of the East Coast on Friday, raising questions about how air quality will impact Sunday’s World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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Wildfire smoke from Canada shrouds the sun as it rises behind the Chrysler Building in New York City on July 17, 2026, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.

Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Key Facts

Wildfire smoke continued to shroud the sky in New York City and New Jersey on Friday, with the potential for more smoke to pour into the area into Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The air quality forecast for East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the final between Spain and Argentina will take place, is currently favorable for the start of game time Sunday, with a moderate air quality index of 63, according to IQAir, which notes an unhealthy index of 126 for New York City at the same time.

However, Sunday’s air quality forecast could change quickly, as 126 fires in Canada remain “out of control,” according to the country’s latest data, which says continued fire growth and wildfire smoke are expected to “continue over the coming days, with heavy smoke being emitted by many of the wildfires in western Ontario."

Air quality forecasting considers some “quite unpredictable” factors, according to IQAir, which acknowledges the long-range transportation of pollution can further impact the accuracy of air quality forecasts.

Forbes has reached out to FIFA for comment.

Will The World Cup Final Be Postponed?

It appears unlikely. As health alerts have been issued amid the wildfire smoke in New York and New Jersey, FIFA is not concerned about the impact of poor air quality on the World Cup final as the weather forecast improves, according to unnamed sources who spoke to ESPN. The National Weather Service is expecting sunny conditions and a high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit for the game on Sunday.

Tangent

A Major League Soccer matchup between Chicago Fire and the Vancouver Whitecaps was canceled Thursday and moved to October after wildfire smoke created hazardous air quality in Chicago. The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets game on Thursday was moved up by an hour due to air quality concerns in Philadelphia, which has continued experiencing poor air quality Friday.

Key Background

Nearly 900 fires are active in Canada as of Friday afternoon. A Wednesday statement from Canadian fire officials said more fire growth and ignitions were expected in the coming days due to hot and dry weather. So far, over 120,000 people have been evacuated amid the blazes. Chicago and Detroit are the cities that have been most impacted by the smoke, experiencing air quality indexes in the hazardous range of 425 to 450, according to IQAir, which notes New York and Washington, D.C., have experienced unhealthy indexes around 180. IQAir expects air quality to improve by the weekend due to shifting winds, though it acknowledged “periodic smoke episodes may continue over the next few days, with additional plumes possible as long as wildfires remain active in Minnesota and Canada.”