Wildfire smoke threatens World Cup final in New Jersey as air quality remains uncertain
The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, scheduled for Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is under threat from hazardous air quality conditions caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires. The smoke has led to health concerns and recommendations to limit outdoor activities.
The smoke from the wildfires is affecting air quality across large parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey. On Thursday, Spain practiced outside in hazardous conditions in East Hanover, New Jersey, which alarmed experts who thought the team should have held the session inside instead. The air quality improved on Friday, but uncertainty remains about the conditions for Sunday's final.
The World Health Organization forecast calls for an improvement to “moderate” air quality in East Rutherford. However, Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, noted that another smoky air mass could follow the rain expected on Saturday. "If the fire intensity really picks up again through (Saturday), it’s possible it puts more smoke into the atmosphere that then might quickly follow that rain event," Parrington said.
Mikel Merino of Spain's national team acknowledged the issue but is trying to focus on the game. "For a game that is as important as a World Cup final, you have to be able to shut out external factors as much as possible," Merino said.
Health experts have warned about the dangers of wildfire smoke, which can affect nearly every system in the body. Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician and Global Climate and Health Alliance official, advised against outdoor training in hazardous air quality conditions. "These are high-level athletes who are moving a lot of air through their lungs during every practice in every game, and really they shouldn’t be practicing outside if the air quality levels are at hazardous sort of ranges for wildfire-related air pollution," Howard said.
The situation has also taken a political turn, with some U.S. legislators criticizing Canada's handling of the wildfires. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by highlighting Canada's investments in clean energy and calling for global responsibility in combating climate change.
The final is scheduled to take place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is not covered, so there is no option to close the stadium to protect against the smoke.
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