US Edition
Plans Unclear for Smoke Risk
CANADA, JUL 15 – FIFA has not disclosed clear air quality thresholds or contingency plans for wildfire smoke despite past severe seasons and health risks cited by experts and leagues.
- Toronto Public Health is reviewing air-quality evidence as the city prepares to host 13 matches during the 2026 World Cup scheduled from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
- This scrutiny follows Toronto experiencing a very high risk Air Quality Health Index rating over 10 due to wildfires in 2023, the most destructive Canadian wildfire season on record.
- Experts like Dr. Andrew Halayko urge rescheduling outdoor activities when AQHI exceeds 7 to protect vulnerable groups, while Dr. Christopher Carlsten emphasizes that risk decisions must be contextual.
- Halayko calls postponing events with AQHI above 10 a “no-brainer,” and researcher Michael Brauer warns that even low pollution levels impair cognitive ability, heightening injury risks during sports.
- Despite growing concerns, the World Cup organizing committee has not disclosed any public guidelines for air-quality-related postponements, leaving contingency planning unclear less than a year before the event.
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48 Articles
48 Articles
Winnipeg Free Press+15 Reposted by 15 other sources
2026 World Cup's contingency plans for wildfire smoke risks remain unclear
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
·Winnipeg, Canada
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Hastings Tribune+5 Reposted by 5 other sources
With the World Cup about a year away, contingency plans for wildfire smoke risks remain unclear
TORONTO (AP) — The 2026 World Cup being hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States is less than a year away and FIFA's protocols for matches affected by wildfire smoke remain unclear.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Seol Ha-eun = There is a little over a year left until the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup.
·Korea, Republic of
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Total News Sources48
Leaning Left21Leaning Right2Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Left
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources lean Left
64% Left
L 64%
C 30%
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