The Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles Week 1 matchup is the first NFL game in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the first one ever in South America. However, the game is now in serious danger of being canceled and possibly rescheduled back in America.
Wildfires have hit the surrounding area and are now affecting over 30 cities nearby. According to Brasilia’s Environmental Institute, the air quality has significantly dropped, and it is now described as very unhealthy.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, the site of the #Eagles and #Packers game next Friday night, is dealing with massive wildfires in the town/across 30 other cities.
The Brasilia Environmental Institute on Sunday said the air quality was “very poor.” The situation had improved by Wednesday but… pic.twitter.com/TesfRFu6Qc
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) August 29, 2024
Of course, if the air quality is that bad, it could make it extremely dangerous for players on the Packers or Eagles to play in. A smog alert has even been released for the first time since 2007.
What makes this crisis even more concerning is that none of these fires were started by lightning and, rather, most likely by people setting them. “No fires caused by lightning were detected. This means that people are setting fires in the Amazon, the Pantanal, and especially in the state of Sao Paulo,” Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said.
The NFL constantly wants to prioritize the safety of its players over all these problems, which could certainly mean the game can be rescheduled elsewhere.
The Packers Will Wear Green Despite The Color Ban
Another more lighthearted problem the Packers-Eagles matchup had to deal with is what color each team would wear.
The game is set to take place in Arena Corinthians, whose home soccer team is rivals of Palmeiras and wears the color green. Because of that, there is an unofficial ban against the color green in the stadium.
However, the Packers have announced that they will wear their green jerseys for the game, effectively breaking the ban.
