Hazy skies and poor air quality are affecting a broad area of Canada and the U.S., but conditions are expected to improve for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final in New Jersey on Sunday. Argentina and Spain, two soccer powerhouses, are scheduled to compete at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., located across the river from New York City.
As of midday Saturday, the air quality in the city was classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” according to AirNow, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s platform for monitoring air quality data. However, forecasts indicate that conditions will shift to moderate by Sunday as northwesterly winds disperse the remaining smoke from Canadian wildfires out of the region.
IQAir, a Swiss company specializing in air quality technology, also predicts an enhancement in the air quality index for East Rutherford by the time of the event. Despite a thick haze tinted with orange and yellow that overshadowed several states on Thursday and partially obscured Manhattan’s skyline, air quality measures improved from “unhealthy” to “moderate” in some areas around New York City by Friday.
While the weather conditions raised concerns, FIFA confirmed that the air quality was not a threat to the World Cup final. Although there have been no discussions of postponing the game, Joshua Kloke from The Athletic mentioned that it would require extreme circumstances for FIFA to consider canceling the match. He highlighted that the teams are accustomed to playing in challenging weather conditions and suggested that the game might be delayed for a few hours to wait for improved conditions.
The weather did disrupt Spain’s training session due to storms and lightning in the East Hanover area on Saturday. The U.S. National Weather Service forecasts sunny conditions with a high temperature of about 28°C for the event on Sunday.
The air quality situation prompted U.S. President Donald Trump and several Republican politicians to express discontent over the smoke drifting south from active wildfires in Canada. Trump threatened to raise import tariffs on Canada, attributing the issue to the country’s forest maintenance practices. Despite this, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not directly address the criticism but criticized the U.S.’s climate change policies.
The two leaders are expected to meet at the World Cup final on Sunday to further discuss the matter.