FIFA has no plan to deal with climate change

The biggest game The soccer match is scheduled for Sunday, when Argentina and Spain meet in the World Cup final, which will be held outside New York City. There’s only one problem. Bushfire smoke now threatens the match, and FIFA, the sport’s governing body, does not appear to have any plan to protect the health of players or fans.

Wildfire smoke emanating from Canada has blanketed large swaths of the Midwest and East Coast in recent days. It affects more than a dozen stateswith some of the hardest-hit cities experiencing air quality at ranges considered hazardous. New Yorkers are among those who watched their air turn orange and hazy this week. On Thursday, the state Issue an alert With the air quality index rising to “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy” levels. “Avoid spending time outside, if possible,” officials advised.

As of Friday morning, air quality near the stadium remained in the unhealthy range While it is expected To improve to “moderate” by Sunday’s kickoff, smoke patterns could still change. If concerns persist during the finals, there will be no way to close the outdoor stadium where superstars Lionel Messi and Lamin Yamal are scheduled to face off. This means that fans and players will almost certainly be exposed to the smoke, which could lead to symptoms such as a burning throat, coughing or headaches, among others. This may be especially dangerous for sensitive groups, including children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Players also trained outdoors during air quality events in the lead-up to the match, with the Spanish team holding a practice on Thursday in New Jersey. “These are high-level athletes who are moving a lot of air through their lungs,” said Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician and Global Climate and Health Alliance official. He told the Associated Press. “They should not exercise outside if air quality levels are in dangerous ranges for air pollution associated with wildfires.”

FIFA, the World Cup organizer, does not appear to have any contingency plans for the wildfire smoke. Neither FIFA nor New York City Health Department officials immediately responded to Greste’s request for comment. in Previous statement by GresteFIFA detailed extensive protocols related to extreme heat, including mandatory rest periods for players, but did not mention air quality.

“Climate-related risks are being assessed as part of the overall tournament planning and are managed in close coordination with host cities, stadium authorities and national agencies,” the organization wrote last month.

Unlike FIFA, a number of other leagues implement uniform adjustments resulting from air quality warnings. Per National Women’s Soccer League policy, for example, the women’s soccer game at Citi Field in New York on Thursday had extra timeouts for safety. NWSL policy adds humidification breaks at an air quality index of 101 (“unhealthy for sensitive groups”) and cancels or postpones games when the air quality index reaches 200 (“extremely unhealthy”). Major League Baseball rescheduled one game this week in Philadelphia, and Major League Soccer canceled a game in Chicago because of smoke.

The World Cup is in its fifth and final week, and despite matches being played in many bushfire-prone areas, FIFA’s bet so far on keeping the air clean has paid off. They might 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 a lack of preparation.

“FIFA seems unprepared for these wildfires,” says Watanabe. “At the same time, it looks like the worst of the pollution will dissipate before the World Cup final, so FIFA will dodge a bullet and will likely go ahead with the match.”

However, some question whether enough is being done, whether by FIFA or other outdoor sports federations, to address these and other climate threats. FIFA has already done so She was criticized This year for Its policies regarding extreme heat“If we have to take a hydration break every 15 minutes, we shouldn’t be playing the game.” Trinity Rodman saidwho played in a smoke-affected NWSL soccer match in New York.