Gray skies and thick fog greeted the Spanish national team delegation upon its arrival in New York, a scene imposed by a wave of wildfire smoke coming from Canada, just 72 hours before the 2026 World Cup final.

The Spanish team's planes landed at Newark Airport in New Jersey, the host city for the final, amid foggy conditions caused by more than 800 wildfires sweeping through Ontario and other Canadian regions, with their impact extending to the US East Coast.

So far, the situation is not officially classified as alarming, and local authorities are confident conditions will improve by Sunday, the date of the final match. According to what was revealed by the newspaper 'As', FIFA has not yet contacted the Spanish team delegation, despite confirming that protocols are ready to deal with any development that may require precautionary measures.

According to CNN, the situation is expected to start improving from Friday, but concern remains. The air quality index in the region reached 101, a level classified as harmful for sensitive groups, while the rest of the population is not expected to be significantly affected.

Canadian wildfire smoke triggered an air quality alert in New York City ahead of the World Cup final, but Columbia University's Dan Westervelt says rain should clear conditions, with no major disruptions expected to the weekend's events https://t.co/JL12c87yGy pic.twitter.com/ssbsScdQ24

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 16, 2026

This phenomenon began to affect the area hosting the final since Wednesday night, due to weather changes that caused smoke particles to descend to ground level instead of staying in the upper layers as happened on Tuesday, covering New York City entirely in fog.

So far, no official warning has been issued, but a state of anticipation prevails among the organizing circles for the final, awaiting what the coming hours will reveal regarding air quality.