Heat Risk Looms Over 2026 FIFA World Cup

104 matches will be played at 16 venues across the United States, Canada and Mexico. NPR’s temperature analysis flags 67 matches as heat-illness risk, including 39 high-risk games based on wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT). The third-place match and the final rank among the high-risk events.

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The 2022 World Cup moved to winter in Qatar because of extreme summer heat. A warming climate has made North-American summers hotter and longer, raising the chance that matches exceed the 79 °F WBGT threshold linked to heat emergencies.

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Average daytime highs in Miami, Houston, Dallas and Atlanta approach 84 °F; Philadelphia, New Jersey and Kansas City reach about 79 °F. Climate Central estimates 97 of 104 matches have at least a 50 % chance of performance-impairing heat, with 26 matches showing a >= 10 % climate-change-driven increase. Only three stadiums—Atlanta, Dallas, Houston—are fully climate-controlled; the other 13 are open-air.

Climate change set to slow down nearly every 2026 World Cup match

FIFA says it is “committed to protecting the health and safety of players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff.” It notes many games are scheduled for cooler afternoon or evening slots, mandates water breaks, and will provide misting systems, shaded areas and air-conditioned benches. FIFA adds that outdoor matches during the hottest periods have been “strategically limited” and that covered stadiums are prioritized for warmer windows. FIFA declined to disclose the temperature threshold that would trigger additional protections or confirm misting availability at all venues.

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Climate scientists warn that scheduling mid-afternoon games in the hottest cities creates a recipe for disaster. Past heat emergencies include a referee’s collapse in Kansas City (June 2024) and a Uruguay player’s dehydration in Miami (2024). FIFPRO has voiced safety concerns, while OSHA notes many states, such as Florida, lack enforceable heat-protection rules for stadium workers.

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FIFA has not released exact ticket sales for the 6 million seats, nor explained why the final is set for a 3 p.m. kickoff at an uncovered New York-New Jersey venue. It also has not confirmed misting system availability or whether workers will receive the same cooling provisions as spectators.

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• “Players can overheat, and match officials as well,” — Donal Mullan, climate scientist, Queen’s University Belfast

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• “The heat risk goes down significantly after about 6 o'clock in the evening, typically,” — Donal Mullan, climate scientist

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• “Obviously, if you schedule these matches for the midafternoon at some of these hottest locations, then that's your recipe for disaster,” — Donal Mullan, climate scientist

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• “The World Cups of the past won't happen again — not because the players have changed, but because the planet has.” — Shel Winkely, meteorologist, Climate Central

Climate change set to slow down nearly every 2026 World Cup match

The Uruguay-Spain group match in Guadalajara on June 26 faces a 37 % rise in heat risk. FIFA says matches may be postponed if WBGT reaches 32 °C, and will monitor temperatures for the July 19 final.

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