Ontario wildfires could affect FIFA World Cup Final in New York

As wildfires rage across northwestern Ontario and smoke continues to blanket many northeastern cities, there's some growing concern about whether the unsafe air quality could impact Sunday's FIFA World Cup Final in New York City.

Wildfire smoke has already forced the postponement of Thursday's Major League Soccer match in Chicago featuring the Vancouver Whitecaps. With more than 80,000 fans expected to attend Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain, there's a cloud of uncertainty lingering over the game before kickoff.

The air quality isn't great in New York at the moment. (Kevin R. Wexler NorthJersey.com/Imagn Images)

According to IQAir.com, New York City ranked among the world's most polluted major cities on Thursday, only behind Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Toronto.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also issued a health advisory on Thursday, recommending that people consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.

Home ground of the Mets is enveloped in wildfire smoke tonight. The World Cup final is happening near by on Sunday… pic.twitter.com/4VySbP5JqU

— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) July 16, 2026

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also issued a health advisory on Thursday, recommending that people consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.

Even the air quality around the stadium was reportedly rated ⁠as "unhealthy for sensitive groups" by several measurement platforms.

If the World Cup Final were played today under the current conditions, one pulmonologist said it could pose quite a threat to players and thousands of fans.

Speaking to Reuters, pulmonologist Dr. Vin Gupta said exercising for more than 90 minutes in smoky conditions could cause an extreme amount of stress on the heart.

Gupta also suggested that fans with health issues wear masks in the stadium, or should even consider selling their tickets if they are immunocompromised.

Spain's national team already arrived in the NYC area at its training base in East Hanover, N.J., about a 45-minute drive from the stadium. Argentina is expected to travel from Atlanta on Friday.

Dan Westervelt, a climate change professor at Columbia University, told Reuters he expects the rain to improve conditions by Saturday.

Canadian wildfire smoke triggered an air quality alert in New York City ahead of the World Cup final, but Columbia University's Dan Westervelt says rain should clear conditions, with no major disruptions expected to the weekend's events https://t.co/JL12c87yGy pic.twitter.com/ssbsScdQ24

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 16, 2026

Rain is forecast for northwestern Ontario on Friday and for the New York City area over the weekend, conditions that should help disperse much of the smoke before kickoff.

"I don't expect there to be major disruptions to the Saturday or Sunday World Cup events," Westervelt said.