Spain train through hazardous wildfire smoke ahead of World Cup final in New Jersey

Spain trained outdoors in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday as air quality in the region hit hazardous levels caused by smoke drifting southeast from Canadian wildfires in northern Ontario — a development that drew sharp criticism from health experts with the World Cup final against Argentina approaching on Sunday.

Media were permitted to observe only the opening 15 minutes of the scheduled hour-long session, leaving the intensity of the workout unclear. FIFA and the Spanish Football Association did not immediately respond to questions about whether moving the session indoors had been considered.

Argentina, meanwhile, remained in the Atlanta area to prepare, having rallied to beat England less than 24 hours earlier to reach the final for a second consecutive tournament. Marietta, Georgia, sits far enough south to avoid the worst of the smoke, which is being carried by wind from northern Ontario across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast.

Authorities urged people to stay indoors or wear masks as particle pollution in New Jersey reached more than seven times the World Health Organization’s standard. Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician and official with the Global Climate and Health Alliance, was unequivocal about the risk to elite athletes.

“These are high-level athletes who are moving a lot of air through their lungs during every practice in every game, and really they shouldn’t be practicing outside if the air quality levels are at hazardous sort of ranges for wildfire-related air pollution,” Howard said. “That’s the time to schedule a practice inside. I would go find an air-conditioned indoor facility that’s a clean-air shelter.”

By mid-afternoon Thursday the air quality in East Hanover had improved slightly to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now monitoring system — a marginal improvement from the “unhealthy” reading recorded earlier in the day. The forecast projects conditions will ease to “moderate” by Sunday, when the final is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Wildfire smoke is known to attack multiple systems in the body simultaneously, triggering asthma flare-ups within hours and causing inflammation that can cascade through the immune system. Medical studies link smoke exposure to tens of thousands of deaths annually, with scientists noting that wildfires are burning larger areas of North America as global temperatures rise.