Lewandowski MLS debut match postponed by air quality concern

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Poland’s forward #09 Robert Lewandowski celebrates after the 2026 World Cup qualifiers Europe zone group G football match between Lithuania and Poland on October 12, 2025 in Kaunas, Lithuania. (Photo by Petras Malukas / AFP)

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Polish star Robert Lewandowski’s Major League Soccer debut was on hold Thursday after the match between the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps was postponed due to air quality issues caused by wildfires.

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Smoke from the fires, which are ravaging the Canadian province of Ontario, spread Thursday through the United States with border states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois particularly choked.

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Thursday’s scheduled clash at the Fire’s stadium was pushed back to October 6, the club said in a statement.

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“The decision to reschedule the match was reached in close consultation with local health experts, MLS, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and the City of Chicago,” the Fire said.

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Some 40,000 fans had been expected at Soldier Field for a match that was part of MLS’s restart in the wake of its World Cup break.

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Lewandowski, who arrived from Barcelona after helping the Spanish giants capture the La Liga crown last month, was expected to play his first MLS minutes in a matchup that would have pitted him against Thomas Mueller, his former teammate at Bayern Munich.

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The next opportunity for Poland’s all-time leading goal scorer to make his MLS debut will be next Wednesday at Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi is not expected to feature due to his participation in Sunday’s World Cup final.

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Illinois was among the US states hardest hit by smoke from the fires.

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A haze also hung over the New York City area, where Messi’s Argentina are to take on Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday.

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New York state authorities warned of fine particulate matter from the fires that would make being outdoors “unhealthy”.

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AFP

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