If air quality is poor, Argentina could be hurt by Spain's style in World Cup Final, FOX analyst says

The World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday between Spain and Argentina has the potential to be played in unhealthy conditions.

Canadian wildfires have caused the air quality in the Northeast and Midwest to range from "unhealthy" to "hazardous."

This would not be the first time wildfire smoke had a presence in a major soccer game - the 2015 Women's World Cup final in Canada was surrounded by nearby wildfire smoke. But with professional games being moved because of the air, the World Cup could potentially be next on the list.

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FOX announcer John Strong, though, is not too concerned just yet.

"I have hope and confidence that the larger forces at play will make sure that this is a good condition to be able to play a wonderful match and a wonderful occasion and, hopefully not altogether, that hot either in looking at the forecast for Sunday," John Strong said.

However, color commentator Stu Holden said the potential conditions could play a major role on the pitch and could actually be a detriment to Argentina.

"It has me leaning and thinking Spain's possession will be as important as ever for them to make another team run, given the way that they wear teams down," Holden said. "So, I do think it's important from an Argentine perspective that they have to find ways to have possession of the ball against this Spanish team, which is so very difficult.

"As we always say, the ball moves faster than you can run, and Spain do that when they get a goal. If they get the first goal, it's almost impossible to come back against them, because they don't stop playing. So, my hope is that the smoke doesn't play a part because that would be a shame, and certainly the conditions, we don't want to take away from the spectacle on the field."

Spain actually practiced in nearby East Hanover on Thursday, while Argentina remained in Atlanta, which has not been nearly as affected.

Officials urged people to stay inside or wear masks outside as air quality reached unhealthy to hazardous levels, meaning it’s unhealthy for anyone, regardless of health conditions. Experts expressed concern over holding practice outdoors.

Smoke from wildfires — which are burning more of North America as the Earth warms — attacks nearly every system in the body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show.

It attacks the body immediately, spiking asthma cases with increased ambulance runs within hours. Smoke can trigger inflammation in different parts of the body, often attacking a person’s weakest points, which can then cascade into different effects of an immune system trying to fight a nasty irritant, doctors and scientists said.

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A Major League Soccer game was postponed on Thursday in Chicago due to the air quality. The game was slated to be Polish star Robert Lewandowski's MLS debut.

The Philadelphia Phillies also announced roughly three hours before the scheduled first pitch that their game against the New York Mets, originally slated for 7:10 p.m. ET, was moved up an hour. Despite the change, Bryce Harper said it was "not the greatest idea" to play, while other players complained of thick air, tasting metal and burning eyes.

The National Women’s Soccer League played a game at Citi Field on Wednesday in similar conditions that turned into the most-attended women’s sports contest in New York history, with 42,175 people attending Gotham FC’s match against the Washington Spirit at Citi Field. But Washington’s Trinity Rodman wasn’t happy with the game, which included two hydration breaks per half, being played.

"If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion," Rodman said. "But, at the end of the day, there’s 40,000 people. It’s a whole event, so it’s really tough. It’s just a really hard situation for everyone to work around."

Three MLB games were postponed in 2023 due to air quality concerns in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

The air quality in the tri-state area has been deemed "unhealthy," perhaps putting a wrinkle in Sunday's World Cup final at nearby MetLife Stadium. But it is expected to be better in time with cold fronts and rainstorms coming into the area on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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