The biggest World Cup ever comes with a problem its predecessors largely did not: the summer heat of North America. Played across 16 host cities in June and July, World Cup 2026 will ask players to perform in conditions that, in several venues, edge into the genuinely dangerous (Al Jazeera).
It is a tactical variable as real as any opponent — and one the contenders are already planning around.
The numbers behind the concern
The metric that matters is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which captures how effectively the body can cool itself rather than just the air temperature. Around 26 of the tournament's 104 matches could reach at least 26°C WBGT, with five expected to push past the 28°C mark widely treated as an extreme-risk threshold (Al Jazeera).
~26 of 104 matches could hit 26°C+ WBGT; five may exceed the 28°C extreme-risk line. Source: Al Jazeera
Research flagged before the tournament was blunter still: by one analysis, 14 of 16 host cities are likely to exceed that extreme threshold in a typical summer, and afternoon kick-offs in cities such as Dallas, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Kansas City and Monterrey would carry an "extremely high" risk of heat-stress injury (NPR).
Where the danger concentrates
The at-risk venues cluster in the south and the open-roof stadiums. "Around half a dozen of the venues are prone to extreme heat," Al Jazeera weather presenter Everton Fox noted, singling out Dallas, Houston, Miami and Mexican grounds where daytime temperatures average around 28°C (Al Jazeera).
The split matters: of the high-risk matches, the majority will be played in air-conditioned stadiums, but more than a third will be in venues with no cooling system at all — leaving those games most exposed to the afternoon sun.
What FIFA has done
FIFA has not ignored it. The mitigation package includes three-minute hydration breaks in each half, cooling infrastructure for players and benches, adapted work-rest cycles and enhanced medical readiness, with many kick-offs nudged to cooler evening slots (Al Jazeera).
!Even moving games to the evening does not fully solve it — humidity and stored heat linger long after the sun drops.
The limits are real, though. Evening kick-offs reduce direct sun but not the humidity that drives WBGT, and a 39-day tournament will test even well-prepared squads as fatigue compounds.
The competitive edge
Heat is not just a welfare issue; it is a strategic one. Teams that arrive acclimatised, rotate intelligently and manage tempo will hold an advantage over those who do not. "Countries that prepare and perform well can minimise that difference," performance coach Raiyan Abbasi told Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera).
Expect to see more squad rotation, slower-tempo game management in the worst conditions, and deeper benches rewarded — exactly the kind of edge that can decide tight knockout ties.
The verdict
The trophy will be lifted by a team that handles the ball — and the thermometer. In a tournament this long and this hot, conditioning and rotation are not boring footnotes; they may be the difference between the last four and an early flight home.
Follow the opening matches in our matchday-one guide, weigh the contenders in our winner prediction, and set your picks on the predictions page.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — How extreme weather and heat could affect players at World Cup 2026
- NPR — See which World Cup matches are most threatened by hot weather
Kickoff XI is an independent publication and is not affiliated with FIFA.
