Scientists have warned that players and fans could face dangerous temperature conditions at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins next month.
elchi reports that a group of scientists from World Weather Attribution has used climate models to analyze the potential impact of global warming risks on players and fans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held for the first time in history across 3 countries with 48 teams participating next month.
The analysis showed that human-induced climate change has significantly increased hot weather conditions, which could make it difficult for people to safely attend outdoor stadiums and outdoor fan festivals.
According to the analysis, which investigated the probability of each of the 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup being played in conditions exceeding the basic safety guidelines set by the global players’ union FIFPRO, players and fans are facing a higher risk of extreme temperature and humidity at the 2026 FIFA World Cup compared to the 1994 tournament held on the same continent. It is estimated that approximately 25% of all matches throughout the tournament will be played in conditions where the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) exceeds 26 degrees Celsius. WBGT is an index that takes into account how effectively the body can cool itself.
This 26-degree level is the threshold at which FIFPRO recommends implementing safety measures such as cooling.
Approximately 5 matches are expected to be played in conditions where the WBGT exceeds 28 degrees Celsius (equivalent to approximately 38 degrees Celsius in dry temperature). These temperatures are considered dangerous for play by FIFPRO, and it is recommended that matches be postponed.
Cooling systems mitigate some of the risk in 3 of the 16 venues where matches and events will be held, but more than a third of the matches with at least a 1-in-10 chance of exceeding 26 degrees WBGT will be played in venues without air conditioning, including Miami, Kansas City, New York, and Philadelphia. In these cities, especially Miami and Kansas, the risk of dangerously high temperatures is considered very high. In the final held in New York/New Jersey, considered the most prestigious stage of the tournament, the probability of exceeding the 26-degree threshold is estimated at 1 in 8, with a risk of temperatures reaching 28 degrees as well. The players’ union FIFPRO reiterated its call for protective measures based on analyses showing that risks have increased due to climate change since the 1994 US World Cup.
Joyce Kimutai, a researcher on Extreme Weather and Climate Change at Imperial College London, commented on the analysis, stating that the climate in which the tournament is played today has fundamentally changed on the continent since the 1994 tournament, and added: “Although organizers have tried to reduce the risk by moving some matches in high-risk, non-air-conditioned locations like Miami and Kansas City to the end of the day, the risk of players and fans encountering matches held in dangerous conditions is very high.” Friderike Otto, Professor of Climate Science at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, commented:
“The fact that the World Cup Final, one of the world’s biggest sporting events, is at risk of being played in temperatures that could be ‘cancelled’ should be a warning to FIFA and fans, and should emphasize the urgent need to understand that no part of society is unaffected by climate change.”
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