The biggest game soccer tournament is scheduled for Sunday, when Argentina and Spain will meet in the World Cup final, which will be held just outside Modern York. There’s only one problem. Smoke from the fires is now threatening the match and FIFA, the sport’s governing body, appears to have no plan to protect the health of players and fans.
Wildfire smoke rising over Canada in recent days has blanketed enormous swaths of the Central and Eastern Coast, impacting a dozen stateswith some of the worst-affected cities suffering from air quality issues that are considered unsafe. Modern Yorkers are among those who noticed their air turning orange and hazy this week. On Thursday, the state issued a warning when the air quality index rose to “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy” levels. “If possible, avoid spending time outdoors,” officials advise.
As of Friday morning, air quality near the stadium remained at unhealthy levels as long as it is forecast To improve to “moderate” by Sunday’s start, smoke patterns may still change. If doubts persist during the finals, it will not be possible to close the open-air stadium where stars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are scheduled to face each other. This means that fans and players would almost certainly be exposed to smoke inhalation, which could cause a burning throat, cough or headache, among other symptoms. This can be particularly unsafe for vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma.
Players also practiced outdoors during air quality events in the run-up to the match – the Spanish team held training on Thursday in Modern Jersey. “These are high-level athletes who push a lot of air through their lungs” – Courtney Howard, emergency room doctor and official of the Global Climate and Health Alliance he told the Associated Press. “They should not exercise outdoors if air quality levels are unsafe for air pollution from wildfires.”
FIFA, the organizer of the World Cup, appears to have no contingency plans for dealing with wildfire smoke. Neither FIFA nor Modern York City Department of Health officials immediately responded to Grist’s request for comment. IN previous statement to GristFIFA detailed extensive protocols for extreme heat, including mandatory water breaks for players, but made no mention of air quality.
“Climate risks,” the organization wrote last month, “are assessed as part of the overall tournament planning and managed in close cooperation with host cities, stadium authorities and national agencies.”
Unlike FIFA, many other leagues make standard adjustments based on air quality warnings. For example, in accordance with National Women’s Soccer League policy, additional hydration breaks will be allowed during the Thursday women’s soccer game at Citi Field in Modern York for safety reasons. NWSL policy adds hydration breaks at an air quality index of 101 (“unhealthy for sensitive groups”) and cancels or postpones games when the AQI exceeds 200 (“very unhealthy”). Major League Baseball postponed one game this week in Philadelphia, and Major League Soccer canceled a game in Chicago because of smoke.
The World Cup is now in its fifth and final week, and despite games being played in many fire-prone regions, FIFA’s bet that the air will stay tidy has paid off so far. They may get lucky again this weekend, says Nicholas Watanabe, a professor of sports and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina, but that doesn’t excuse their lack of readiness.
“FIFA seems unprepared for these fires,” says Watanabe. “At the same time, it looks like the worst of the contamination will be gone before the World Cup final, so FIFA will dodge a bullet and probably go ahead with the match.”
But some question whether FIFA and other outdoor sports leagues are doing enough to address these and other climate threats. FIFA has already done this has been criticized this year for its extreme heat policy” If we have to take a hydration break every 15 minutes, we shouldn’t be playing this game, he added. Trinity Rodman askedwho attended a smoky NWSL soccer game in Modern York.