The debut of Polish star Robert Lewandowski in Major League Soccer (MLS) was postponed after the match between his new team Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps, scheduled for Thursday, was delayed due to poor air quality caused by wildfires.

Smoke from the wildfires raging in Canada's Ontario province spread across the United States on Thursday, causing severe air pollution in border states, particularly Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.

Chicago Fire announced in a statement that the match, scheduled at their home stadium, was postponed to October 6.

The club said: 'The decision to reschedule the match was made after close consultations with local health experts, Major League Soccer, Vancouver Whitecaps, and the city of Chicago.'

Around 40,000 spectators were expected at Soldier Field for the match, which was part of the league's resumption after its break during the World Cup.

Lewandowski, who joined from Barcelona after helping the Catalan club win La Liga last month, was expected to play his first minutes in MLS in a match that would have pitted him against his former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Müller.

The next opportunity for Poland's all-time top scorer to play his first MLS match will be next Wednesday against Inter Miami, where Argentine Lionel Messi is not expected to participate as he is busy playing in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Illinois was among the U.S. states most affected by the smoke from the fires.

A smoky haze also hung over the New York City area, where Argentina led by Messi is scheduled to face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday.

New York state authorities warned about levels of fine particulate matter from the fires, stating that staying outdoors would be 'unhealthy'.