Heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires causes air quality alert in NY and NJ ahead of World Cup final
New York and New Jersey have issued an air quality health alert as smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouds the region, just days before the eagerly anticipated World Cup final.
This comes after Spanish players experienced hazy conditions when they landed in New Jersey on Wednesday night. Argentina's squad will begin training at their venue on Friday.
What is causing the air quality issue?
The smoky skies are due to wildfires raging across Canada, which have been sending plumes of smoke southward into the United States. This has led to hazardous conditions for people in the region, both residents and visiting teams.
New York New Jersey Stadium, an open-air facility where the final will take place on July 19 (20:00 BST), is not expected to be affected despite the current poor air quality. Forecast rain on Saturday should help disperse some of the smoke, but there are no immediate plans for the stadium itself.How are teams responding?
Spanish players trained outdoors Thursday without apparent issues, and official statements from their squad regarding concerns over the air quality have yet to be released. Meanwhile, Argentina remains in Georgia after their victory over England in the semi-finals but will begin training at the stadium on Friday afternoon.
New York City FC's Trinity Rodman, who witnessed a cancelled match due to poor air quality earlier this week, commented: 'Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like,