Messi’s Argentina faces Spain in World Cup final
Sports analyst Dan Dakich previews the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, highlighting the leadership of Lionel Messi. Dakich predicts Argentina will win, praising Messi’s consistent greatness. The discussion then turns to WNBA star Caitlin Clark, who NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called a “political football” amid controversies over physical play. Dakich attributes some problems to jealousy and envy among WNBA players.
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The World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday between Spain and Argentina risks being played in unsanitary conditions.
Wildfires in Canada have caused air quality in the Northeast and Midwest to drop from “unhealthy” to “hazardous.”
It wouldn’t be the first time wildfire smoke was present at a major soccer match: the 2015 Women’s World Cup final in Canada was surrounded by nearby wildfire smoke. But with professional matches being moved due to air travel, the World Cup could potentially be next on the list.
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Lionel Messi celebrates in front of fans after crossing the ball for Argentina’s second goal by Lautaro Martinez during the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on July 15, 2026. (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
However, FOX announcer John Strong isn’t too worried just yet.
“I have hope and confidence that the greater forces at play will ensure that the conditions are right to be able to play a wonderful match and a wonderful occasion and hopefully not quite as hot when you consider the forecast for Sunday,” John Strong said.
However, color commentator Stu Holden said the potential conditions could play a major role on the pitch and could actually be detrimental to Argentina.
“It makes me think that Spain’s possession will be more important than ever for them to make another team work, given the way they wear down teams,” Holden said. “So I think it’s important from Argentina’s point of view that they find ways to possess the ball against this Spanish team, which is very difficult.
“As we always say, the ball goes faster than you can run, and Spain do that when they score a goal. If they score the first goal, it’s almost impossible to come back against them, because they keep playing. So I hope the smoke doesn’t play a role because that would be a shame, and certainly the conditions, we don’t want to take away from the spectacle on the pitch.”
Spain actually trained in eastern Hannover on Thursday, while Argentina remained in Atlanta, which was not as affected.
Authorities have urged people to stay indoors or wear masks outdoors as air quality has reached unhealthy to hazardous levels, meaning it is unhealthy for anyone, regardless of their health. Experts have expressed concern about outdoor practice.
Smoke from wildfires — which are burning more of North America as the Earth warms — attacks nearly every system in the body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, according to numerous medical studies.
It attacks the body immediately, increasing cases of asthma with increased ambulance trips within hours. Smoke can trigger inflammation in different parts of the body, often attacking a person’s weakest spots, which can then translate into different effects of an immune system trying to fight off a nasty irritant, doctors and scientists said.
Smoke from Canada’s wildfires shrouds the Manhattan skyline in Brooklyn, New York, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
METS AND PHILLIES STARS SHOW CONCERNS ABOUT PLAYING IN UNHEALTHY AIR: “NOT THE GREATEST IDEA”
A Major League Soccer match was postponed Thursday in Chicago due to air quality. The match was to be Polish star Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut.
The Philadelphia Phillies also announced approximately three hours before the scheduled first pitch that their game against the New York Mets, originally scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, had been moved up an hour. Despite the change, Bryce Harper said it was “not the best idea” to play, while other players complained about the thick air, metal taste, and burning eyes.
The National Women’s Soccer League played a match Wednesday at Citi Field under similar conditions that turned into the most attended women’s sports competition in New York history, with 42,175 people attending Gotham FC’s match against the Washington Spirit at Citi Field. But Washington’s Trinity Rodman wasn’t happy with the game, which included two hydration breaks per half.
“If we have to take a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion,” Rodman said. “But at the end of the day, there are 40,000 people. It’s quite an event, so it’s really difficult. It’s just a very difficult situation for everyone to get around.”
Three MLB games have been postponed to 2023 due to air quality concerns in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.
A general view of Citizens Bank Park during the game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies on July 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. The Mets beat the Phillies 4-1. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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Air quality in the tri-state area has been rated “unhealthy,” which could put a damper on Sunday’s World Cup final at nearby MetLife Stadium. But the situation is expected to improve over time, with the arrival of cold fronts and torrential rains in the region on Saturday.
