World Cup braces for extreme heat, risks for players and fans | OneFootball

The hosts of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place during the northern hemisphere’s summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, are expecting high temperatures—a risk for both fans and players, and an organizational challenge that still presents many unknowns.

In early December, inside the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, about fifteen giant fans were waiting to be used to cool the environment during the eight World Cup matches the stadium will host.

If the temperature exceeds 26.7°C at the time, these huge misting fans will be distributed throughout the stadium.

Forty-five meters above the field, a roof provides shade for spectators, and air circulates freely in this open-air, non-air-conditioned stadium.

“With 70,000 people in the stadium, all experiencing intense emotions, we want to be prepared to react in case of extreme heat,” Otto Benedict, vice president of operations for the company that manages the stadium, inaugurated in 2020, told AFP.

The other 15 stadiums in the tournament are not as modern, and Southern California isn’t even the region at greatest risk during the competition, which is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19.

Hydration Breaks

A study published in the “International Journal of Biometeorology” mentions “serious concerns for the health of players and referees at the 2026 World Cup due to extreme heat” and identifies six “high-risk” host cities: Monterrey (Mexico), Miami, Kansas City, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

The “Pitches in Peril” report by the association Football for Future specifies that, in 2025, these cities recorded Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT) above 35°C for at least one day. This scale, which takes both temperature and humidity into account, represents “the limit of human adaptation to heat.”

The scorching Club World Cup, held from June to July 2025 in the United States, was not immune to these sometimes extreme conditions, and FIFA received criticism from players and coaches.

For this reason, the governing body of football decided to implement hydration breaks at the 22nd and 67th minutes of all World Cup matches, regardless of weather conditions—a welcome development for sponsors and television broadcasters.

Additionally, the schedule prioritized midday games in air-conditioned stadiums (Dallas, Houston, Atlanta) and cooler evening times in regions at risk of extreme heat.

“There is a clear effort to schedule match times with player health and performance in mind,” said a spokesperson for the FIFPro players’ union, who preferred not to be identified.

According to him, this would be “a direct consequence of lessons learned at the Club World Cup.”

High-Risk Matches

The union states that there are still “high-risk matches” and recommends that games be postponed when temperatures exceed 28 degrees WBGT.

FIFA did not respond to an AFP inquiry about its future protocol in the event of extreme weather conditions.

In addition to the players, the risk for spectators in the stadiums or fan zones has often been “underestimated,” says Christopher Fuhrmann, deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Fans generate heat “with their enthusiasm” and, unlike players in excellent physical condition, may have “comorbidities” that expose them to potentially fatal heatstroke.

Inside the stadiums, the temperature is always higher, as these are structures built from concrete, asphalt, or metal, the researcher notes.

Fuhrmann also highlights potential problems with “air circulation,” “shaded areas,” and “hydration” for fans, who often consume alcoholic beverages.

FIFA has not yet specified to the companies managing the stadiums whether fans will be allowed to bring reusable water bottles or if they will have to pay for water.

Prevention

According to Benjamin Schott, meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS), who advises FIFA and the World Cup task force, the focus should be on “prevention,” especially for spectators, particularly those coming from abroad who are not familiar with the local climate.

The NWS, which will have a liaison in each host city, will provide monitoring actions based on weather forecasts. FIFA and local governments will make the final decision on whether or not matches will take place.

“We are working with various disaster management teams (governments, security forces, firefighters, etc.) to ensure everyone’s safety and to prepare for any eventuality that Mother Nature may have in store for us.”

The meteorologist notes that the conditions during the Club World Cup were “nothing exceptional” in a country where temperature records are broken “every year.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.