One in four FIFA World Cup 2026 matches could be played in extreme heat, the World Weather Attribution network of climate scientists has warned.
WWA’s scientific analysis estimates that 26 out of 104 games able to play in conditions reaching at least 26 degrees wet bulb temperature (WBGT) – an index that measures how effectively the human body can cool itself under the influence of heat, humidity, exposure to sun and wind.
At 26 degrees of WBGT, the international union of football players FIFPRO recommends cool down breaks because heat stress becomes a real danger for players.
Five games could reach 28 degrees or morewhich is the level at which FIFPRO recommends postponing or moving matches.
FIFA has already scheduled cooling downs in each half during the championship, which will be played from June 11 to July 19 in 16 stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Three stadiums – in Dallas, Houston and Atlanta – are air-conditioned, but more than a third of games with a risk of 26 degrees will be played in stadiums without cooling.
The fact that it would even only the final could be played in conditions dangerous to health it should be a wake up call for FIFA and the fanssaid Friederike Otto, WWA co-founder and professor of climate science at Imperial College London.
During the 1994 World Cup, hosted by the United States, 21 games were expected to reach a similar temperature threshold, according to WWA data.
(Fena | Photo: Pexels)
