The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will kick off under clear skies on Sunday after violent thunderstorms swept through New Jersey, scrubbing away the dense wildfire smoke that had threatened the tournament’s climax. MetLife Stadium, shrouded in an acrid orange haze for days, was pounded by heavy rain and lightning on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of the pitch and the suspension of Spain’s final training session. By Sunday morning, the air quality index in East Rutherford had shifted from “unhealthy” to “moderate,” posing little risk to the general public, according to US meteorologists. FIFA officials, monitoring data from the National Weather Service, confirmed the match would proceed.

The sudden improvement followed a week of mounting alarm. Hundreds of fires in Canada’s boreal forests, exacerbated by climate change, sent plumes of toxic particulate matter southward, pushing New York City’s air quality index to 175—“unhealthy” by EPA standards. Medical experts warned that footballers, who inhale up to ten times their resting air volume during a match, faced heightened risks from PM2.5 particles that penetrate deep into the lungs. The crisis had already forced the postponement of MLS fixtures in Chicago and prompted health pauses in the NWSL. Viewed from Buenos Aires, where Argentina’s squad had trained in Georgia before flying north, anxiety was palpable until the storms arrived.

On the pitch, the stakes are immense. Argentina, the defending champions, seek to become the first team to retain the title since Brazil in 1962, with Lionel Messi, at 39, aiming for a second consecutive World Cup. Spain, rebuilt under Mikel Merino, have swept through the knockout rounds with a blend of possession and pressing reminiscent of their golden generation. The match also features a duel for the Golden Boot: Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé, eliminated in the semi-finals, are tied on eight goals, so the award will be decided on the pitch. Organisers have added a Super Bowl-style halftime show, extending the interval beyond 15 minutes, a move that has stirred debate but is expected to draw a global television audience of 1.6 billion.

The political dimension was never far away. President Donald Trump, who plans to attend and present the trophy with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accused Canada of “negligence” over forest management and threatened new tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford stressed the role of climate change and the need for cooperation. In Washington, the White House’s World Cup task force embedded a meteorologist inside FIFA’s headquarters to track the smoke. With the air cleared, the focus shifts to the pitch, where the final will decide the world champion, settle the Golden Boot race, and close a tournament shaped as much by environmental forces as by football.