The climate crisis has come for football.<\/p>\n
During this year\u2019s World Cup<\/a>, nearly one in five of the tournament\u2019s 100-plus matches took place in levels of heat and humidity that a football players\u2019 union has previously said should trigger delays or postponements, a Guardian analysis has found. An additional 23 matches were played in cities as they reached those heat levels, but in stadiums where conditions were mitigated by air conditioning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe climate crisis is hitting the things we all need, like a stable climate, clean air and affordable food, as well as the things we love, like football and other sports,\u201d Simon Stiell, executive secretary for the United Nations climate body, said in an emailed comment.<\/p>\n Our analysis looked at conditions where the tournament\u2019s 104 matches were either already played (102) or the forecasts for the two remaining matches.<\/p>\n The findings are a sign of a broader challenge facing football as the planet warms. The climate crisis is making extreme heat more frequent and intense, raising new questions about whether the conditions in which major tournaments are played can remain safe for players and supporters.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 2026 Fifa World Cup<\/a> matches have introduced a true stress test of heat mitigation and preparedness,\u201d said Joshua L DeVincenzo, an assistant director at Columbia University\u2019s National Center for Disaster Preparedness. \u201cFifa, spectators, stadium operators, and others \u2026 were tested firsthand on the disruptions and complications that extreme heat and weather can pose.\u201d<\/p>\n Young fan cooling off in a misting fan at the Dallas Fifa Fan Festival on 29 June 2026 in Dallas. Photograph: The Dallas Morning News\/Hearst Newspapers\/GettyImages<\/p>\n The findings come as a record-breaking heatwave scorches much of the United States, with more than 125 million Americans spanning from California to New England under dangerous heat alerts. Sunday\u2019s final seems set to be played in conditions with a wet bulb globe temperature estimate of just under 26C (79F), with low humidity alleviating the effects of high air temperatures. However, another climate-fueled concern could plague attenders: Wildfire smoke is expected to continue to degrade air quality in the region, with New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, warning<\/a> of health impacts.<\/p>\n Our analysis found that an estimated 20 matches were played in conditions with wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) that may have been at or over 28C (82F).<\/p>\n Chart showing temperatures with little circles<\/a><\/p>\n Under those conditions, the players\u2019 union Fifpro has argued<\/a>, games should be delayed or postponed to protect footballers\u2019 health. Other match attenders can also face risks, said DeVincenzo.<\/p>\n \u201cWe learned from this World Cup that, in addition to player safety and health, important precautions must be considered for spectators, volunteers and stadium staff long before the day of the match,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Philadelphia stadium during the Fifa World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Paraguay and France on the Fourth of July. Photograph: Zhizhao Wu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Fifa did not respond to a request for comment. The organization previously told the Guardian it had been stationing meteorologists at match venues to help prepare for extreme weather, and that tournament planning included \u201cclose coordination\u201d with host city organizers as well as stadium authorities and national agencies. Players this year were given mandatory hydration breaks, and being provided access to water, electrolyte drinks, ice, cold towels, fans, mist and shade, Fifa<\/a> has said.<\/p>\n Fifpro declined to comment on the latest analysis, but previously told the Guardian: \u201cThe lesson for everyone in the industry is that with a warming planet, heat conditions will play a bigger part in tournament and league scheduling decisions in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n WBGT readings account for humidity, direct sunlight and wind to provide a more accurate measure of heat stress and the body\u2019s ability to cool itself through sweating. At high enough levels of heat and humidity, sweat can no longer evaporate efficiently, preventing the body from cooling itself and leading to rapid overheating that can cause heat illness or even death.<\/p>\n Official WBGT measurements require specialized equipment on site, but the Guardian compiled approximations based on air temperature and humidity data for the time and place of each match, with data from the open-source weather service Open-Meteo. Estimates were calculated using a formula created by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology<\/a> and used by institutions including the Canadian military<\/a>.<\/p>\n Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper, cools off during a hydration break in the Fifa World Cup 2026 round of 32 match against Argentina at Miami stadium on 3 July 2026. Photograph: Steph Chambers\/Fifa\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The hottest game played in a non-air-conditioned stadium was held on the Fourth of July in Philadelphia. During the France v Paraguay round of 16 match, temperatures at the city\u2019s stadium reportedly reached 38C (100F), and WBGT during the game may have reached or exceeded 33.9C (93F), the Guardian\u2019s analysis found.<\/p>\n The hottest game overall was played when Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 on 22 June in Dallas, Texas. Though the game was played in one of the only three fully air-conditioned World Cup 2026 stadiums (the other two being in Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia), the Dallas match still exposed those outside the venue to sweltering conditions. The asphalt outside the stadium, for instance, reportedly<\/a> reached a sizzling and dangerous 50C (122F).<\/p>\n More must be done to protect those outside World Cup venues, said DeVincenzo, including those entering and exiting matches, or attending fan festival gatherings.<\/p>\n \u201cSpectator experiences created a secondary risk in the heat; factors such as long walking distances without cover, unshaded areas, sun-exposed seating in the stadium, and long wait times in heat-emitting spaces like parking lots put people at a much higher risk of heat stress and related injuries,\u201d he said. \u201cThese experiences can be addressed ahead of future games by training volunteers to identify signs of heat stress and to know the appropriate actions to take when fans experience dizziness, fainting, or falls.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans enjoy cooling mist spray during the Fifa World Cup 2026 Group E match between Ecuador and Germany at New York New Jersey Stadium on 25 June 2026. Photograph: China News Service\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Every match played in three cities \u2013 Dallas, Houston and Miami \u2013 appears to have been contested in conditions that breached the 33.9C threshold. At the Miami, which does not have air conditioning, players, workers and spectators alike blistered under WGBT readings of approximately 32.5C (90.5F) during Norway\u2019s match against England last weekend. Temperatures reached 33C (91.4F) with 65% humidity, and sweat poured off of every face in the venue.<\/p>\n Record-breaking heat and humidity are set to blanket the midwestern and eastern US this week, potentially making conditions even more challenging for players and fans at some games. In the future, conditions could deteriorate even further.<\/p>\n