Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada blanketed Chicago on Thursday. Octavio Jones/AFP/Getty Images
Thursday night’s premier MLS match between the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps, in which star Robert Lewandowski was due to make his league debut at Soldier Field, has been postponed until Oct. 6 due to poor air quality in Chicago, sources briefed on the decision said. Athletic.
Smoke from Canada’s wildfires has pushed Chicago’s air quality index to two of the worst levels: very unhealthy and hazardous. The city of Chicago closed all public beaches and pools, and the Chicago Park District canceled all outdoor activities that could not be moved indoors.
Lewandowski joined the Fire from Barcelona this summer and was introduced this week as MLS returns to action after the World Cup break. The Fire were scheduled to host the best team in the Western Conference, led by Lewandowski’s former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Muller.
The game was supposed to be noteworthy for another reason: it was supposed to be a reunion of the Berhalter family. The Fire are coached by Gregg Berhalter, who will face his son Sebastian, a key Whitecaps player, US World Cup midfielder and MLS All-Star.
Instead, all this will have to happen in October. Smoke filled the air in Chicago from more than 800 wildfires in Canada, and winds pushed the smoke south.
Update on today’s match against Vancouver. #cf97 pic.twitter.com/tVpBd57Hpz
— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) July 16, 2026
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared an Air Pollution Day of Action in Chicago and Northern Illinois, and people were advised to limit prolonged outdoor activities and take more frequent breaks.
It’s unfortunate timing for MLS, which is looking to capture the global soccer attention that the World Cup brought to North America. The league has several important games scheduled for Thursday and Friday, after the World Cup semi-finals but before Sunday’s final.
Three more games were scheduled for Thursday: Montreal vs. Toronto (7:30 p.m. ET), St. Louis City vs. Sporting Kansas City (8:30 p.m. ET) and Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers (10:30 p.m. ET).
July 17, 2026
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