It has been discussed for some time, especially after what happened at last year’s Club World Cup, but now it is once again time for a heat alarm ahead of the 2026 World Cup. According to an investigation by World Weather Attribution (an international research group that analyses extreme weather events) reported by The Athletic, there is a serious risk to the health of players and fans because of the extreme temperatures and humidity expected between June and July in some US cities. The World Cup will kick off on June 11, and the match that will open the event will be Mexico-South Africa, at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Given the altitude at which the stadium stands (more than 2,000 metres above sea level), temperatures should not reach excessively high levels. The greatest risk is instead present at other latitudes, in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, New York and Philadelphia, where summer temperatures become unbearable. While in the first three cities the matches will be played in closed stadiums equipped with air conditioning, in the others this option is not available and the risk of playing matches in prohibitive temperatures is very real. In a 52-page report, scientists from World Weather Attribution state that around 26 of the 104 scheduled matches will be played in cities where the WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature, an index for heat stress used to prevent heat-related illnesses) will exceed 26 degrees. As many as five above 28.
FIFA, precisely in order to deal with this problem, has introduced into its regulations something never seen before. Matches will be divided into four periods, given the presence of a three-minute hydration break (water break) in the 22nd minute of the first and second half. A measure aimed at protecting players’ health, but one that may not be enough to avert possible risks: “The problem related to heat should not be assessed only on the basis of air temperature,” said Dr Chris Mullington of WWA, a lecturer at Imperial College London. High humidity reduces the evaporation of sweat, limiting the body’s cooling mechanism. And it can be a factor to consider in the staging of matches: “When the temperature exceeds 26 degrees,” Mullington continues, “players’ performances can be affected. Above 28, the risk of developing serious heat-related illnesses becomes even higher. Not only for the players, but also for the hundreds of thousands of fans who will fill the stadiums.” FIFPro (the world federation of professional footballers’ unions) has also expressed some doubts. According to them, FIFA has not yet identified the maximum temperature threshold beyond which a match would be suspended. According to the union, that should be when the wet-bulb globe temperature exceeds 28 degrees.
For its part, FIFA has tried to play down the alarm, saying it is “committed to protecting the health and safety of players, referees, fans and staff.” In addition to increasing to five the number of substitutions allowed for each team (with one additional substitution in extra time), the body chaired by Gianni Infantino said that climate-controlled benches for coaches and players will be present at all outdoor matches. And that it has set up training sessions for national-team doctors on heat mitigation and worked to ensure that matches scheduled during the hottest parts of the day are played in covered stadiums. As for “fans,” it added, “they will be able to bring water bottles into the stadium, where additional cooling systems will be available, such as shaded areas, misting systems and beverage distribution points.” There is just under a month to go until the start of the World Cup, but tempers are already heating up. We will see whether FIFA’s attempt to cool them down will be enough, and whether the systems it has designed will be sufficient to fight the heat that will accompany the American football month.