The soccer industry has taken some measures to confront extreme heat (Credit: Edward Cleaver)
Canada’s victory over Peru during the 2024 Copa America tournament, on a scorching June day in Kansas City, was anything but a sporting thriller. But as temperatures in Missouri sizzled to 91 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity thickened the air, assistant referee Humberto Panjoj stumbled forward and collapsed. He had been badly exposed to the sun on the sideline.
The soccer industry has taken some measures to confront extreme heat. FIFA, the world governing body, implemented a cooling breaks policy at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. They sanctioned three-minute stoppages in both halves for fluid intake when conditions exceeded 87 degrees Fahrenheit wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a unit measuring not just humidity and heat, but the impact of the sun. The 2022 Qatar World Cup was also moved to the winter.
“International federations have spread awareness on the effect of heat on performance. There’s a lot happening in terms of education,” said George Nassis, dean of the College of Sport Science at the University of Kalba in the United Arab Emirates.
But eight researchers at U.K. and Canadian institutions have released a new study suggesting that breaks during matches might not sufficiently protect players in most of the 2026 locations of play, which are spread across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The researchers are advocating for a more radical solution: moving games to cooler evening times. Many observers say this policy would threaten FIFA’s profits due to their commitments to broadcasters.
“Nothing would send a clearer message out than a major match being disrupted. Even if they just put it back briefly,” said co-author Alan Kennedy-Asser, a researcher in the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol, England.
Exercise in hot environments overburdens the body’s thermoregulatory mechanisms. The heart struggles to pump blood around the body, sometimes causing extreme lethargy as well as dizziness.
Heat can also lead to the deterioration of player performance. After the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Nassis co-authored a paper showing the number of sprints players made declined during matches held above 82 degrees Fahrenheit WBGT. In Australia, those conditions can lead to postponed games. But FIFA’s cooling breaks don’t kick in until 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Some studies indicate that top-level players can sustain their technical performance – like passing and shooting – and adapt to extreme heat. But the 2026 tournament will have 48 teams instead of the usual 32, and experts, including Nassis, suggest this could advantage teams that have more elite players who are used to or can cope with the heat. Travelling around more continuously, across different climates, will make physiological acclimatization more demanding. Leading players are likely best equipped to overcome these physical challenges.
“The most crucial factor is to get players to become familiar to the heat. This is going to be the challenge, moving from a low-heat to high-heat risk place,” Nassis said.
The co-authors, who funded the research themselves, modeled temperatures in the host locations for summer 2026.
They found that 14 of the 16 host cities surpass 82 degrees Fahrenheit WBGT in an average year. Six locations, including Boston, exceed the 90 degree Fahrenheit threshold. Another four locations go beyond this upper figure in a hot year.
The researchers also noted the actual heat risk may surpass their findings because the dataset they used was from 2003 to 2022, and global temperatures have only increased since.
Considering these risks, the authors recommend moving matches to milder evening temperatures — a suggestion at odds with other stakeholders.
“FIFA’s obligations to broadcasters in the biggest confederations and sponsors wanting their branding at the best times, if I’m being cynical, I think that will win out,” said Greg O’Keeffe, who reports on U.S. soccer for the leading sports outlet, The Athletic.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has secured the media rights for the tournament in five European countries, including Bulgaria and Hungary.
In a statement, communications officer Lyndsey Clark said, “The EBU does not have central control over individual Members’ broadcast schedules or timings. If kick-off times are changed for any reason, each Member will coordinate any necessary schedule adjustments and logistical operations on an individual basis.”
Timings are chosen to maximize global viewership. To suit European audiences, the 1994 World Cup final in California started at 3:30 p.m. EDT. In Russia in 2018, the kick-off time accommodated influential Asian sponsors.
FIFA will be reluctant to jeopardize relationships with media rights holders, both Kennedy-Asser and O’Keeffe suggested, after generating nearly $3 billion in broadcast revenue at Qatar 2022.
Another solution is stadiums with retractable roofs that air-condition the space. But these can require significant resources. Of those staging matches next year, the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was the last built back in 2020, costing $6.75 billion. Only four of 16 locations will have them for the tournament, including Houston.
“We can play at any time in Houston. Heat will not be a factor in scheduling matches,” said Chris Canetti, President of the 2026 World Cup Houston Host Committee.
Experts, and the study’s authors themselves, have praised these innovative adaptations. They have emerged as many in the soccer industry are emphasizing that player welfare and climate change are no longer separate issues.
“People expect maximal performance,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, medical director for FIFPRO, a worldwide organization representing 65,000 soccer players. “For that, players should be provided with optimal conditions.”
About the author(s)
Edward Cleaver is a British journalist, specialising in political and sporting issues in the city.