The 2025 NWSL Championship rematch at Citi Field between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit on Wednesday night is on track to break the record for the highest attendance at a women’s professional sporting event in New York City, with more than 40,000 tickets sold.It also marks Gotham’s first match in the borough of Queens, after recently announcing a planned 2028 move to the under-construction Etihad Park, just across the street, from the team’s current base in Harrison, New Jersey.As exciting as this match at the home of baseball’s New York Mets is likely to be, the players will be met with unfavorable weather conditions.Temperatures are expected to near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38C) in New York City today. There are also alerts in the region over poor air quality, as smoke from Canadian wildfires spreads across the northeast of the U.S., in addition to the ongoing heatwave. The area is under an extreme heat warning until around kickoff, which is set for 8 p.m ET, with the game to be broadcast on ESPN.New York City is under an Air Quality Health Advisory as the Canadian and Great Lakes wildfire smoke gradually moves through the area. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)When reached ahead of the match, an NWSL spokesperson confirmed the league has been monitoring weather conditions closely. The NWSL took Wet Bulb Globe Temperature readings on Tuesday at times and under conditions similar to those expected on Wednesday. The field was fully shaded by the projected warm-up time, with readings ranging from 76.0 to 79.0 degrees Fahrenheit, well below the league’s threshold for delaying matches.The league said it will follow normal game day procedures for responding to heat.Around 1:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani cautioned New Yorkers through social media that the air quality had reached “unhealthy levels” in parts of the city, adding that people should “avoid unnecessary outdoor activities”. Free filtration masks were available for locals, with cooling centers also open across New York.