Polish football star Robert Lewandowski’s first game in Major League Soccer was on hold on Thursday. The match between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps was postponed because of air quality problems caused by wildfires.
Smoke from the fires in Ontario, Canada, spread across the United States. States like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois were especially affected.
The match set to happen at the Fire’s stadium is now pushed to October 6, according to a statement from the club.
“The decision to reschedule the match was made in close consultation with local health experts, MLS, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and the City of Chicago,” the Fire noted.
Around 40,000 fans were expected at Soldier Field for the match. This game was part of MLS’s return after the World Cup break.
Lewandowski, who joined from Barcelona after helping the team win La Liga last month, was set to play his first MLS minutes. He would have faced Thomas Mueller, his former teammate at Bayern Munich.
The next chance for Poland’s all-time leading goal scorer to debut in MLS will be next Wednesday at Inter Miami. Lionel Messi is not expected to play in that match because he will be involved in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Illinois was one of the US states most affected by the smoke from the fires.
A haze also covered the New York City area. Messi’s Argentina will play Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday.
New York state officials warned about harmful fine particles from the fires that could make being outside “unhealthy.”
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