All to know about Canadian wildfire smoke, air quality and World Cup final

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that Canadian wildfire smoke and severe weather complicated preparations less than 24 hours before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A visible haze lingered over New York and New Jersey on Saturday, and New York at one point on Friday was rated as having the world’s worst air quality. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported more than 950 wildfires burning across Canada as of Saturday.

The final is scheduled for Sunday at 3pm local time, or 19:00 GMT. Air-quality warnings remained in effect across parts of the US East Coast on Saturday, but forecasts cited by Al Jazeera indicated conditions in East Rutherford were expected to improve from unhealthy to moderate by matchday, with little to no risk for the general public. FIFA said it was monitoring stadium conditions and staying in contact with local authorities.

Saturday storms also disrupted activity at the stadium, bringing heavy rain and thunder. State police told people to leave the seating bowl and field for shelter, while New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned of possible damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay indoors and avoid travel.

Spain’s final training session was suspended because of storms and lightning under US safety protocol, while Argentina trained outdoors as scheduled. Meteorologists cited in the report said the storm front should push much of the smoke away before kickoff, though some faint haze or smell could remain. The final is expected to draw about 80,000 spectators, with US President Donald Trump and leaders from Mexico and Canada among those expected to attend.