Extreme heat during the 2026 FIFA World Cup is still a major concern for footballer and spectator welfare, a Queen’s University Belfast researcher says.
With more matches than ever planned for this year’s 2026 FIFA World Cup across North America, kick-off times have become a public health issue rather than a broadcast choice.
Last year, Dr Donal Mullan from Queen’s made a plea to FIFA to rethink kick-off times, after his research showed that almost 90 per cent of stadiums could face potentially dangerous levels of heat.
Matches have now been scheduled to avoid peak temperatures in the most at-risk cities. Group stage and knockout matches begin no earlier than 7pm in Monterrey and 8pm in Kansas City, with one match starting at 10pm in Monterrey.
However, this has not eliminated the risk of extreme heat for players and spectators in areas of moderate risk. In New York, matches begin as early as 3pm, including the final. While some fixtures in Philadelphia and Boston are set for 4pm. These are some of the hottest times of the day.
Dr Mullan comments: “While the decision to avoid afternoon kick-offs in the hottest host cities may mean early alarms for global audiences, this is the best way to protect both athletes and spectators.
“However, there is still major concern that the timing of some fixtures could result in exposure to extreme heat.
“For players, this may mean that FIFA will have to impose cooling breaks during matches. This would happen when the wet bulb temperature – an index of extreme heat – exceeds 32°C. However, this policy has been widely criticised by various bodies including FIFPRO – a global organisation representing professional footballers. They believe it should be a much lower threshold.”
Dr Mullan says that this is not a new issue and there have been many examples of how heat has disrupted elite football in recent years, especially in North America.
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“We do not want a situation where history repeats itself in terms of the health dangers of extreme heat. In 2024, Guatemalan match official Humberto Panjoj collapsed mid-way through a Copa América match in Kansas City.
“We also know that last summer several players and match officials voiced their concerns about the extreme heat faced at the 2025 Club World Cup. The then Juventus manager Igor Tudor revealed that ten players asked to be substituted due to heat exhaustion. Many teams trained at nighttime and subs even watched matches from dressing rooms rather than sit in the exposed dugouts."
Dr Mullan adds: “Climate change is having a big impact on the world around us and it is vital that we plan ahead for these situations, The first priority has to be the health and welfare of athletes and spectators.”
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