Read 3 minutesUpdated: 17 July 2026 04:51 PM IST
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 gears up for its grand finale at the Sophie Stadium, residents of New York and New Jersey, along with thousands of traveling fans, are grappling with mounting health concerns just days before the summit clash. Officials have issued an air quality alert, warning of hazardous conditions across the region.
A sudden deterioration in air quality has been traced to smoke billowing from wildfires across Canada that have blackened skies over a wide swath of the United States, from the Midwest to the Northeast. According to A Reuters According to reports, thick smoke from hundreds of fires has prompted officials to urge residents to stay indoors where possible and avoid polluted air.
The SoFi Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey will host the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, July 19 (July 20 at 12:30 AM IST). Things took a turn for the worse when Spain arrived in New Jersey on Wednesday night, the day after their semi-final win over France in Texas. BBC Report
New York City is covered in fog. (AP)
Spain trained away from home on Thursday and looked largely unfazed by the conditions. The team has not issued any statement expressing concern. Argentina, meanwhile, remained in Georgia after their semi-final win over England and will begin training in New Jersey on Friday afternoon, according to the BBC.
In New York, where the sky was stained with an orange haze and the air smelled strong, local officials urged residents to limit time outside and advised the elderly, pregnant women and people with other risk factors such as heart and lung disease to stay indoors.
“Today is expected to be the worst day of the event,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a rally Thursday. “At the ‘unhealthy’ level, everyone — not just people with asthma or heart disease, not just the elderly — can experience health effects. So today, every New Yorker should take precautions.”
The city is handing out free KN95 face masks at hundreds of libraries, police precincts and fire houses, the mayor said.