Always more teams, plane trips… and athletes and fans exposed to high heat ? Footballers participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup — hosted between the United States, Canada and Mexico — could be at risk of severe heat stress and dehydration, according to a study published Thursday, November 28 in the review Scientific Reports.
Ten of the sixteen venues planned to host the competition in North America could put players at risk of extreme weather conditions, particularly in Arlington and Houston (in the United States, in the state of Texas) as well as Monterrey (in Mexico), which are among the riskiest places.
Studies carried out during previous World Cups have already highlighted the negative effects for players playing in environments with high relative humidity (as in Brazil in 2014) or subjected to high temperatures (as in Russia in 2018). The 2026 World Cup will take place between June 11 and July 19, a summer period when temperatures in North America reach record highs, increasing risks for athletes.
Marek Konefał and his colleagues used data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service to analyze temperatures in the host countries, near the stadiums that will be used during the World Cup. They created a reference environment simulating the temperature, wind and humidity observed in these areas, based on July averages. These values have been adjusted according to the Universal Climate Heat Index (UTCI), an indicator measuring the reaction of the human body to the external environment. This allowed them to simulate the conditions footballers would face during matches.
The results show that the stadiums of Arlington, Houston and Monterrey record average values ofUTCI exceeding 49.5°C, placing these sites at high risk of extreme heat stress. The greatest heat stress was estimated to occur between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time, except in Miami, Florida, where the highest values of theUTCI are expected between 11 a.m. and noon. Temperatures above 50°C — considered extreme heat — were recorded in Arlington and Houston late in the afternoon.
Researchers recommend reviewing match schedules in stadiums exposed to extreme weather conditions, to protect the health of players and avoid exposing them to potentially dangerous playing conditions.
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