The match that was supposed to mark the return of MLS after the World Cup pause – and the debut for Chicago Fire signing Robert Lewandowski – will not go on as planned.
A contest between the Chicago Fire and the Vancouver Whitecaps has been postponed and will now be played on October 6, according to a statement from the club.
MLS has been forced to move the match as devastating wildfires in northwestern Ontario have continued to blow clouds of smoke across Eastern Canada, down to the American Midwest and throughout the northeastern United States.
Hundreds of fires in the province – specifically in an area located roughly over 100miles (165km) north of the city of Thunder Bay – have blown giant clouds of smoke throughout the US and Canada.
This long trail of smoke extends from as far west as Bemidji, Minnesota all the way out to Cape Cod on the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts.
Major American cities like Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and New York City – as well as the Canadian metropolis of Toronto – have been smothered by haze that has caused the air to be unsafe.
Hazardous air conditions have forced the postponement of an MLS match in Chicago Thursday
Wildfire smoke has blown down from northwest Ontario and across the eastern US and Canada
The postponement delays the debut of Chicago Fire signing Robert Lewandowski
At the time of publishing, the Air Quality Index (AQI) level in the city of Chicago was at 343 out of 500, within the range where it is considered ‘Hazardous’ to be outside. The range for ‘Good’ air quality is a maximum of 50.
On Thursday, the city of Chicago had closed all public beaches and pools while the Chicago Park District cancelled all outdoor activities which weren’t able to be moved inside.
The match was set to be a reunion for Lewandowski and his former Bayern Munich teammate, Thomas Müller – who plays for Vancouver. Chicago coach Gregg Berhalter was also set to face his son, Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter.
This cancellation and the continued raging of these fires has officials concerned over the safety of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, which is set to be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey – a city that had an AQI of 161 or ‘Unhealthy’ at the time of publishing.
World Cup chiefs are facing calls to introduce more hydration breaks at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to keep players safe amid a ‘very dangerous and powerful one-two punch to the human body.’
‘It not only is going to be terrible, terrible air quality. It’s hot, and that can cause an extreme amount of stress on the heart [for players],’ said Dr Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and board of directors member at the American Lung Association.
‘That is a very powerful and dangerous one-two punch to the human body. It’s going to be critical to maintain core body temperatures as low as possible.’
Gupta also advised those who are immunocompromised to ‘consider watching the game at home instead of going in person.’
