Study: 5 2026 World Cup Games Could Hit Unsafe Heat
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- Imperial College London researchers estimated climate change has made unsafe heat conditions significantly more likely at the 2026 World Cup, projecting five matches could exceed the 28°C (83°F) wet bulb globe temperature threshold—nearly double the three games in 1994.
- FIFA uses a higher postponement threshold of 32°C (90°F) wet bulb globe temperature, while FIFPRO recommends action at 28°C—a gap that prompted 60 current and former professional players to issue an open letter demanding updated heat guidelines and the league drop fossil fuel sponsors.
- The World Cup Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey faces a 12.5% chance of exceeding 26°C and a 3% chance of reaching the 28°C 'cancellation-level' threshold, per the report.
- The 2022 Qatar World Cup was moved from summer to winter because of extreme heat, while last summer's Club World Cup across 12 U.S. cities saw no games postponed despite temperatures above 32°C.
- Douglas Casa of the Korey Stringer Institute recommended FIFA extend mandatory hydration breaks from three to six minutes and make aggressive cooling—cold plunges, rotating freezing towels—available in stadium locker rooms.
- Friederike Otto, climate science professor at Imperial College London, called the World Cup Final's 'non-insignificant risk' of cancellation-level heat a 'wake-up call' about climate change's reach into every aspect of society.
Why it matters: FIFA's 32°C postponement threshold sits above the 28°C safety mark recommended by FIFPRO, with five matches projected to land in that gap. Sixty pro players are publicly demanding schedule changes, and the MetLife Stadium final faces a 3% chance of cancellation-level heat—operational pressure on FIFA before kickoff.
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