Soccer: Lewandowski's MLS debut delayed by wildfire smoke

Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski's expected debut for the Chicago Fire has been delayed after the club's Major League Soccer (MLS) match against the Vancouver Whitecaps was postponed because of hazardous air quality caused by wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada.

Robert Lewandowski poses with a jersey after being introduced as a Chicago Fire player at a press conference on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

Photo: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu/ABACAPRESS.COM via PAP

The match, originally scheduled for Thursday at Soldier Field, has been rescheduled for October 6, the club said.

Chicago Fire said the decision was made after consultations with public health experts and was based on "the health and safety of fans, players, staff and event personnel."

The postponement delays the first appearance for the 37-year-old Polish striker, who was officially introduced by the club on Tuesday after signing a two-year contract following his departure from Barcelona.

His next opportunity to make his Chicago Fire debut is expected to come on July 23 in an away match against Inter Miami.

Thick smoke from wildfires burning in Canada blanketed Chicago on Thursday, pushing air pollution to hazardous levels, media reports said.

The city was among several in the US Midwest affected by smoke carried south by prevailing winds.

Canadian wildfire smoke turns air hazardous in New York on Thursday. Photo: EPA/SARAH YENESEL

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP