England fans warned of serious health risks from extreme Texas heat at World Cup | OneFootball

England supporters heading to Texas for next month’s World Cup opener against Croatia are among those most vulnerable to health complications stemming from extreme heat, academics have cautioned.

While the AT&T Stadium in Arlington boasts air-conditioning, offering protection to players and spectators inside the venue from soaring temperatures, the primary concern lies outside.

The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group of academics has specifically highlighted the climate’s impact on fans travelling to matches, queuing for entry, and attending outdoor fan festivals.

WWA research indicates a one in three probability of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) surpassing 28 degrees Celsius in Dallas for the England match on 17 June, among other fixtures.

The WBGT is an index measuring the body’s ability to cool itself, with the world players’ union FIFPRO recommending match postponements when this figure exceeds 28 degrees.

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Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, where England play their first World Cup match against Croatia on 17 June 2026 (Getty)

Overall, WWA anticipates nine of the 104 matches will be played above 26 degrees, a threshold where FIFPRO advises safety measures, with approximately five expected to exceed 28 degrees.

Dr Chris Millington, from Imperial College London, believes the greatest danger is posed to spectators, despite players being elite athletes capable of adapting their exertion.

He explained: "They’re more medically diverse, maybe older or very young. They may have cardiovascular disease, kidney or metabolic disease. They may be taking medications that affect heat tolerance and they may be unacclimatised visitors."

He further elaborated on the prolonged exposure fans face: "They may also be exposed for much longer than the match itself, walking to the stadium, queuing in direct sun, attending fan zones, sitting in exposed seats and travelling home on crowded transport.

"People who have got medical comorbidities, such as heart disease, will go into that situation. They’ll probably not hydrate very well the night before. They might not sleep very well the night before, and then they might have some beer during the day. And gradually they’ll get hotter and hotter and hotter. They probably won’t put wear a hat."

He continued: "They may wear their sports shirt, or, as they sometimes do, they might be not wearing a top, and exposing themselves to those risks as well, and then what happens is, someone who has got that blocked coronary suddenly finds they’re dehydrated and they’re pushing all their blood flow to their skin, and suddenly not enough blood flow is going to their heart, and they suffer a heart attack that they wouldn’t have suffered were they not in that situation."

Fifa has not publicly disclosed a WBGT threshold that would trigger match postponement.

However, it has implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half at every match this summer as a player welfare measure.

Dr Millington suggested these breaks are insufficient to mitigate the heat’s impact on players, advocating for a longer half-time interval. He also noted that efforts to reduce risks for players could inadvertently increase spectator risk by extending the overall match-going experience.

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Fifa have been urged to reconsider the timings of future World Cups (Getty)

Looking ahead, Dr Friederike Otto, Professor of Climate Science at Imperial College London, suggested Fifa should reconsider the timing of future World Cups.

"It would definitely be advisable to have these either earlier in the year or later in the year to have the ability to have a football party and not something that is a massive health risk," Dr Otto stated.

A Fifa spokesperson confirmed that a tiered heat mitigation model would be in place for this summer’s finals when temperatures exceed defined thresholds.

In such circumstances, "spectators will be permitted to bring one factory-sealed water bottle, and venues will activate additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses and expanded water distribution”, the spokesperson said.

Fifa has also developed a medical protocol for exertional heat illness in players, featuring bespoke cooling bags for immediate treatment by trained match doctors.