See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER Published: 23:07 BST, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 23:37 BST, 17 July 2026
FIFA has no plans to move Sunday's World Cup final, even as dangerous smoke from Canadian wildfires leaves a haze over New York City, reports claim.Spain is due to face Argentina in a blockbuster final at MetLife Stadium and there have been warnings that the combination of heat and 'terrible' air quality constitutes a 'very dangerous and powerful one-two punch to the human body.'On Thursday, the air quality in New Jersey, site of the stadium, was rated 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' by several air-quality measurement platforms.According to Bloomberg, FIFA and Andrew Giuliani - who heads of the White House's World Cup Task Force - have been involved in discussions about the wildfires.But no formal meeting is slated over possibly moving the final, which kicks off at 3pm local time at the 80,000-seater open-air stadium. Another 50,000 fans are expected to watch the game from Central Park.Earlier this week, some soccer fans were being advised to sell their tickets for the game, while World Cup chiefs faced calls to introduce more hydration breaks on Sunday to keep players safe. FIFA has no plans to move the World Cup final despite the wildfire smoke impacting New York Over recent days, smoke from the wildfires has blanketed much of the northeastern USA Spain is due to face Argentina in a blockbuster final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon 'It not only is going to be terrible, terrible air quality. It's hot, and that can cause an extreme amount of stress on the heart [for players],' said Dr Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and board of directors member at the American Lung Association.'That is a very powerful and dangerous one-two punch to the human body. It's going to be critical to maintain core body temperatures as low as possible.'The smoke has already forced an MLS match between the Chicago Fire and the Vancouver Whitecaps to be postponed, while an MLB game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies was brought forward by one hour due to air quality concerns.However, despite the mounting anxiety behind closed doors, an expert meteorologist insisted that the smoke is expected to clear up significantly before the game kicks off on Sunday. AccuWeather's Adam Douty revealed: '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.'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'.A recent forecast suggests a mostly sunny afternoon in East Rutherford, with AccuWeather expecting the temperature to peak at 87 degrees (30.5c). According to Bloomberg, staff from the National Weather Service have been working out of FIFA HQ in Miami throughout this World Cup. They will continue to monitor the situation ahead of kickoff.
