NEW YORK (AP) — Mikel Merino can smell and see the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that are making for hazy conditions across large parts of the US, including northern New Jersey, where the athlete and the rest of his Spanish men’s national soccer team are set to face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Merino is trying not to focus on it.

It remains unclear how much, if at all, the smoke will affect the final. The World Health Organization forecast calls for an improvement to “moderate” air quality in East Rutherford by game time.

“For a game that is as important as a World Cup final, you have to be able to shut out external factors as much as possible,” Merino said Friday. “Luckily, we are being careful with every detail thanks to the federation and the organizers of the World Cup.”

Spain practiced outside in hazardous conditions in East Hanover, New Jersey, on Thursday, alarming experts who thought the team should have held the session inside instead. Messages sent to FIFA and the Spanish Football Association asking whether that was considered, or even possible, were not returned.

Roughly 80,000 fans are expected at the final, one of the biggest sports events of the year, which will take place in the large, open-air stadium in the Meadowlands that is home to the National Football League’s New York Giants and Jets.

Air quality improved Friday. But uncertainty persists, as Sunday’s air........

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