Scientists raise alarm over "scorching" heat conditions at the World Cup, as FIFA faces yet another backlash

With less than a month until the World Cup, FIFA is facing increased scrutiny over player safety. (Image credits – Heute; licence details). 

Several scientists and climate experts from across the globe have raised serious concerns over the player's safety ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada. They have warned that extreme heat conditions could pose serious health issues for the players, match officials and even the fans. FIFA has been accused of not installing adequate measures yet, which puts the players at risk of serious harm.

In a letter, experts in health, climate and sports performance have claimed that FIFA’s guidelines are not feasible and cannot be justified at any costs. They have demanded the governing body introduce prolonged cooling breaks and take measures such as delaying or postponing games in case of extreme conditions. Extreme heat is always a concern on the North American continent during the summer, as we saw during the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup last year when teams suffered a lot from the heat.

The same issue is expected this year as well, with scientists warning that the temperature at 14 stadiums could exceed dangerous weather conditions in which it's inhumane to play a physically exhausting sport like football. The temperature can rise from 30 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius on hotter days. As warned by the researchers, prolonged exposure to severe heat will impact performance on the pitch and overall health. Dehydration, dizziness, heat stress and heat strokes remain major concerns ahead of the big tournament.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest edition of the tournament to date, featuring 48 teams participating across 16 cities in the USA, Mexico and Canada. However, instead of featuring in the headlines for good reasons, this upcoming tournament has been a scope for debate as fans have protested the climate issues and also the excessive prices. FIFA has defended this by saying that they are "committed to protecting the health and safety of players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff" and have already taken some measures, pointing to the cooling breaks and new medical emergency protocols.

Worst-organised World Cup ever?! FIFA is playing with lives as the situation becomes alarming

Severe weather conditions during the Club World Cup last year sparked widespread criticism of FIFA's preparedness ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the same venue. (Image credits – Heute; licence details). 

After severe criticism during the FIFA Club World Cup last year, they introduced mandatory three-minute cooling breaks in each half of the game irrespective of the weather conditions. They had also implemented climate-controlled benches for the staff and substitute players. As per the BBC, FIFA also uses the gold-standard heat measure for sport, the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which assesses physical heat stress on the body and combines heat and humidity where above 28 degrees Celsius is considered risky for the players.

However, as per FIFA’s manual, if the WBGT reading is 32 degrees Celsius or above, only then are the officials bound to take action to prevent any health risks during the game. The researchers have urged the governing body to bend the rules and lower it to 28 degrees Celsius ahead of the tournament. They have also announced that factory-sealed bottles will be allowed inside stadiums, and all the stadiums will have internal cooling such as shaded zones, misting systems and spraying buses.

The twenty scientists who signed the letter include people from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and the rest of Europe. They have urged the governing body to delay or postpone games when the temperatures soar above 28 degrees Celsius, longer cooling breaks, and improved cooling facilities. FIFA has been advised to follow the guidelines proposed by FIFPro, which is the players' union in football.

Andrew Simms, director of the New Weather Institute, raised his concern over FIFA’s priority over the well-being of the players. He says, "Player safety is an immediate and urgent concern because things can go wrong very quickly when people overheat.” (sic)

He added, "We're worried that Fifa is playing recklessly with the health and safety of players.” (sic)

“The hydration break in each half absolutely needs to be longer than three minutes – at least five minutes for each break and, preferably, six. We hope this open letter convinces FIFA to update its heat guidelines before the World Cup,” said Professor Douglas Casa from the University of Connecticut.

Heat is not the only concern ahead of the World Cup. Severe thunderstorms and poor AQI from wildfires could also pose a potential threat to the summer's prestigious tournament. Last year, several games had to be postponed due to thunderstorms, which is quite normal at this time of the year across the USA, Canada and Mexico. After researching it's been found that most games are likely to be played above 26 degrees Celsius WBGT, and a few games could even exceed 28 degrees Celsius WBGT, which is totally unsafe to play football in.

FIFA has declined to comment or respond to the letter but has declared that they would use a "tiered heat mitigation model" at the tournament, with measures adapted to real-time conditions. They have promised to monitor conditions and take appropriate measures to ensure a safe and resilient tournament.