The United States ambassador to Canada warned Ottawa that US President Donald Trump may postpone the final of the ongoing Fifa World Cup scheduled for Sunday if smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket the US. Canada is one of the co-hosts of the 2026 Fifa World Cup along with Mexico and the United States.
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“If the pollution is so bad that it’s dangerous to the players or it’s dangerous to the fans, the first person to say don’t hold the game will be the President of the United States,” US Ambassador to Ottawa Pete Hoekstra said in an interview to the Canadian outlet Global News.
“We’re not going to jeopardise the health and well-being of the players, or from people around the world, by setting a game that is in unsafe conditions,” Hoekstra, a former Republican Congressman, said. He added that the pollution danger was being discussed with Fifa, football’s governing body.
The final is to be played between Argentina and Spain in New Jersey.
Trump had earlier threatened tariffs on Canada due to the smoke from the wildfires.
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“This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” Trump said in his post.
The wildfires this year have engulfed swathes of the boreal forests in northern Ontario, and smoke has wafted downstream into the United States, impacting nearly 100 million residents there, according to the outlet CTV News.
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The Canadian government, in its national wildland fire summary said that smoke from the wildfires was “impacting many locations across the country, especially eastern Canada and into the United States” and that these “impacts will continue over the coming days, with heavy smoke being emitted by many of the wildfires in western Ontario.”
“Diplomatic engagement is being coordinated at the time of writing to discuss the wildfire situation and impact of wildfire smoke on US states,” it added.
The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System noted that there were 98 new fires reported on Friday, with 43 natural, 38 caused by humans and 17 undetermined. There are 904 active wildfires in Canada, with 129 considered out of control.
