EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: World Cup final smoke should ease before Spain face Argentina at 3 pm ET on Sunday, or midnight PKT on Monday, at New York New Jersey Stadium, meteorologists said.
Thunderstorms moved through the region on Saturday, helping push away smoke from Canadian wildfires. As a result, forecasters expect only light haze around the open-air stadium.
Air quality should improve from unhealthy to moderate before kick-off, the Associated Press reported. Temperatures could reach about 80°F (27°C), with low humidity and light winds.
However, Saturday’s storms disrupted final preparations. Spain temporarily halted a training session due to lightning, according to AP.
World Cup officials had monitored the smoke throughout the weekend. Earlier, air-quality warnings covered New Jersey, New York and other parts of the eastern United States.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup task force, said a National Weather Service official was working from FIFA headquarters. He said organisers were closely tracking conditions. Still, officials announced no delay or venue change.
The final remains scheduled for 3 pm local time on July 19. The match will complete the first 48-team FIFA World Cup after 104 games across Canada, Mexico and the United States. FIFA officially refers to MetLife Stadium as the New York-New Jersey Stadium during the tournament.
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Spain reached the final by beating France 2-0 in Dallas. Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, defending champions Argentina defeated England 2-1 in Atlanta. Enzo Fernández equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martínez scored the winner in added time.
The FIFA match preview lists Spain as European champions and Argentina as the defending world and South American champions.
