Will Extreme Heat Impact This Summer’s FIFA Soccer World Cup?

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 28: Andrea Belotti #19 of SL Benfica pours water on his face during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between SL Benfica and Chelsea FC at Bank of America Stadium on June 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Justin Setterfield - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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As preparations continue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held this summer in the U.S, Canada and Mexico, there are still concerns about how extreme heat will impact both players and fans alike.

Dr. Donal Mullan from Queen’s University Belfast, has warned there is still major concern the timing of some soccer fixtures could result in exposure to extreme heat.

Many matches have now been scheduled to avoid peak temperatures in the most at-risk cities.

Group stage and knockout matches begin no earlier than 7pm in Monterrey and 8pm in Kansas City.

But Dr. Mullan said FIFA may have to impose cooling breaks during matches, in a statement.

“We do not want a situation where history repeats itself in terms of the health dangers of extreme heat,” he added.

“In 2024, Guatemalan match official Humberto Panjoj collapsed mid-way through a Copa América match in Kansas City.”

Dr Mullan added climate change is having a big impact on the world around us and it is vital that we plan ahead for these situations.

Jason Moreland, director of meteorology at AlertMedia, said heat is going to be a major factor in some U.S. cities, from Miami to Kansas City, and even in Canada, in an interview.

Moreland added Southern cities like Miami also have to contend with tropical rainstorms and lightning during the summer months, which could also affect World Cup matches.

He added another area for soccer teams playing or fans attending matches in Mexico City will be the higher altitude and thinner air, which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, or mild altitude sickness.

“The overall weather impact could be quite significant,” he told me.

“Even for fans used to attending American football games, if they are up in the upper levels, the direct sunlight exposure could be quite brutal,” said Moreland.

“I think we are going to see more cooling mechanisms installed both outside the stadium and likely within the stadiums as well, along with increased presence of paramedics and emergency services for those who might succumb to heatwave conditions.”

Alexis Gazzo, global climate change and sustainability services leader at EY said organisers will have needed to carefully assess and manage key vulnerabilities, including the risk of extreme heat, in an email.

Gazzo added the U.S, Canada and Mexico – as joint hosts – will also be able to draw on lessons learned from last year’s Club World Cup, where concerns were raised around stadium readiness and heat conditions.

He said they will also have had to consider the consumption of energy, water and natural resources to limit environmental costs.

“The best events will build low-emissions transport, zero-waste initiatives, energy efficiency, and sustainable materials into their project plans and they think will about the future, and the impact of what they leave behind on the community, environment and economy,” added Gazzo.

One of the stadiums scheduled to host the FIFA 2026 World Cup is SoFi Stadium in Inglewood California, which was designed by HKS Inc.

The open-air stadium boasts a partially subterranean design and a single layer ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof, which is designed to respond to patron comfort, connect fans to the exterior elements and reduces solar heat gain.

The roof also features a series of operable panels which can open and close, depending on the climatic conditions to further promote additional airflow in the stadium.

HKS Inc's global director of venues, Mark A. Williams, said they analyzed 100 years of climate data for the region when designing the stadium, with a focus that included understanding patron comfort at for single seat in the venue, in an interview.

Williams said the design aims to make the most of ocean breezes, which in turn cool down the stadium and provide fan comfort.

“We tune the building to the climate,” he told me.

“SoFi stadium is also embedded further into the ground than any other major stadium in the U.S,” he added.

“This design move creates additional energy efficiencies for the stadium and allowed us to create one of the most memorable processions into a sports and entertainment facility"

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