New York's skies began to clear less than 48 hours before the World Cup final, following a notable improvement in air quality that had threatened to disrupt the tournament's closing scene.

Data from the National Weather Service and the AirNow air quality monitoring agency showed the pollution index dropping from 185 to 170 and then to 124 currently, after peaking at 264 on Wednesday in the 'very unhealthy' category, meaning 15 times worse than the normal level.

This improvement came to take the city out of the dangerous purple zone it entered on Thursday, into the orange zone meaning the air is 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' only, after pollution levels dropped by more than 50%.

Authorities had issued a stark warning at 4 a.m. on Friday, stating that 'the situation has worsened compared to yesterday, and anyone may begin to feel health effects that could become serious for sensitive groups,' due to fine particulate matter PM2.5 from more than 100 active wildfires in Canada, which can enter the bloodstream.

On the air quality index ranging from 0 to 500, where 100 is harmful to sensitive groups, 150 is dangerous for normal life, and 200 is extremely hazardous, New York recorded 124 after distributing free KN95 masks at hundreds of locations across the five boroughs and issuing recommendations to reduce outdoor physical activity.

Weather forecasts offer an additional glimmer of hope, as heavy rain is expected on Saturday night in the New York area, which could significantly help dissipate the thick smoke, though it will not completely solve the problem, but it will be enough to save the final match from the threat of postponement.

Canadian wildfire smoke is blanketing the sky over New York. Before-and-after images show the impact of the smoke, which has created dangerous air quality for millions. pic.twitter.com/I4w6iD8R8g — AccuWeather (@accuweather) July 17, 2026