FIFA Warned of Gruelling Heat Impact on 2026 World Cup Games

The Heat Risk at the 2026 World Cup

Climate experts have challenged FIFA after a warning that one in four World Cup games could be played in very hot conditions because global warming has increased the extreme heat risk since the US last hosted the tournament in 1994.

Details of the Heat Warning

Overheating concerns had already prompted FIFA to mandate a cooling break during each half of World Cup matches. They will be played in 16 stadiums across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

• 26 of the 104 matches could be played where temperatures reach at least 26C in the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index.
• 17 matches will be played in stadiums with cooling systems, reducing risks for players and fans.
• Five games are expected to be played in conditions of 28C WBGT or higher, a level that FIFPRO says should lead to the delay or postponement of matches.

The Impact of Climate Change

“Players and fans face a much higher risk of gruelling heat and humidity at the 2026 World Cup compared to the 1994 tournament on the same continent,” said World Weather Attribution (WWA), a network of climate scientists.

“It’s dangerous for players, but of course there are also the fans who might gather outdoors, and they are at even more risk because they will not be taken care of by a lot of medical doctors,” said Friederike Otto, WWA co-founder and climate science professor at Imperial College London.

FIFA's Response and Future Outlook

FIFA has outlined preventive measures, including monitoring conditions in real time and applying contingency protocols if extreme weather events occur.

The executive secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell, lent his voice to the warning, saying “The risk of dangerous heat has doubled” since 1994, which will put “players and fans at risk”.