A weather specialist has outlined how smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to affect the upcoming World Cup final, with White House officials preparing for urgent discussions with FIFA amid growing concerns over possible health risks.
The planned talks come after several days of thick pollution across the Northeast, prompting questions over whether MetLife Stadium will be safe to stage Sunday’s final.
Air quality in New Jersey, where the stadium is located, was listed on Thursday as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” by multiple monitoring services.
By Friday, Sky News reported that White House officials were set to speak with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the situation.
But despite the concern among officials, one expert meteorologist has offered a more encouraging outlook, saying the Canadian wildfire smoke drifting through the region should ease considerably before kickoff.
AccuWeather’s Adam Douty said: “Air quality in the NYC area is expected to be poor to unhealthy on Saturday. However, good news for the match is that we should see improved air quality on Sunday for the final.”
A weather expert has detailed how Canadian wildfire smoke could affect Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has spread into the northeastern US ahead of the World Cup final
‘It may still not be considered good, but it should not be as bad as Saturday. It will also be less humid compared to Saturday, which will make for more comfortable conditions’.
The updated forecast suggests a mostly sunny afternoon in East Rutherford, with AccuWeather expecting the temperature to peak at a manageable 87 degrees.
However, while the final looks set to dodge a weather disaster, the outlook is considerably more chaotic for Saturday’s third-place match between France and England.
The game faces a brutal environment at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where temperatures will reach the low 90s – but will ‘feel’ around 100 degrees.
Douty added: ‘People heading to Miami can expect typically warm and humid conditions. We are monitoring the potential for tropical development from the northern Gulf of America to the southwestern Atlantic.
‘The core of moisture and rain from this potential tropical system is likely to remain to the north of Miami, though a thunderstorm may still impact the match.
‘Lightning has the potential to delay the game,’ the AccuWeather expert added.
More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the World Cup final between holders Argentina and Spain, the European champions, at the open-air New York-New Jersey stadium, while another 50,000 are expected to watch the game from Central Park
Despite mounting anxiety behind closed doors, an expert meteorologist has revealed that the drifting Canadian wildfire smoke is expected to clear up significantly before the game kicks off
White House officials are set to meet with FIFA President Gianna Infantino over the matter
Wildfire smoke from northern Canada has been a common summer occurrence across wide swathes of the United States in recent years.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Thursday the smoke was creating unhealthy air conditions across the state and urged people to stay indoors.
In the latest developments on Friday, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke choking US cities.
‘We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their forests and brush,’ the President wrote on Truth Social.
The US is being ‘invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable,’ Trump added.
He vowed to call Prime Minister Mark Carney to demand answers, claiming that the ‘cost is incalculable.’
‘We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their forests and brush,’ the President wrote on Truth Social Friday, threatening to tariff Canada further due to the smoke and pollution hitting US cities because of the blaze in Ontario
Thick smoke has blanketed major cities along the East Coast, including Washington, DC
‘This is willful negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States billions of dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the tariffs Canada is currently paying,’ Trump said.
Fires that have been blazing in Canada’s Ontario province have caused massive plumes of smoke to blanket much of the eastern US.
Those plumes reached major US cities like Washington, DC, and New York City on Thursday evening.
The President likely experienced the smoky condition in the capital while traveling to New York City for a work dinner on Friday evening before sending off his post.
