How hot conditions could impact the World Cup

Published 5 June 2026 · sports

High temperatures in some of the host cities could threaten players and fans. Argentina's Enzo Fernandez with teammates during training ahead of the FIFA World

High temperatures in some of the host cities could threaten players and fans. Argentina's Enzo Fernandez with teammates during training ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Sporting KC Training Centre in Kansas City, Kansas, June 3, 2026. The World Cup is set to begin during one of the hottest times of year in North America, and several of the host cities may see high temperatures during the soccer tournament. The competition will take place over a large geographic area on the North American continent -- in more than a dozen cities in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico -- some of which could see temperatures that may put athletes and even spectators at risk now that meteorological summer is underway, experts told ABC News. Average temperatures in many of the World Cup cities could exceed the 80s and 90s, Weather Service records show. Southern U.S. cities like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami also face persistent humid conditions which can bring an elevated heat index and make it more difficult for the body to regulate its temperature. A 2024 study found that extreme heat could pose a significant threat to players and spectators at several of the host cities during the hottest part of the day. Nearly all of the 2026 World Cup host stadiums now see more extremely hot days during June and July than during the first North American World Cup in 1970, according to research nonprofit Climate Central. The frequency of extremely hot days in June and July has tripled, on average, across 10 repeat host cities since Mexico hosted in 1986 and the U.S. hosted in 1994. The sites with the highest risk were found to be in Monterrey, Mexico; Arlington, Texas; and Houston -- which had suggested average hourly UTCI values above 49.5 degrees Celsius, or 121.1 degrees Fahrenheit, the researchers found. The AT&T Stadium, June 23, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Several of the stadiums in those cities have air conditioning. AT & T Stadium in Arlington and NRG Stadium in Houston are all air-conditioned.

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is partly covered with canopy and not completely enclosed or air-conditioned, while Estadio Monterrey in Mexico is an open-air stadium and does not feature a closed, air-conditioned seating bowl for spectators. "It's not going to be a problem when people have access to air conditioning," Craig Crandall, professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, told ABC News. "There is really no worries or concerns with respect to people overheating." However, most of the training facilities are not air conditioned, according to Doug Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut's Korey Stringer Institute, a research facility created following the Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman's 2001 death from exertional heat stroke. Heat and humidity could impact athletes' performance Heat can severely impair athletic performance by causing cardiovascular strain, hyperthermia and dehydration, according to the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. "We know that as individuals get hot, their ability to perform both at a competitive level, as well as just is daily activities, is compromised," Crandall said. Hyperthermia and dehydration can cause players to cover less distance on the field, decreased speed for max sprints and decreased cognitive performance, according to Casa. Recovery for the next game could become an issue as well. "It takes your body a long time to recover from these efforts," he said. Players will still need to adapt quickly to local climate conditions, which can be a challenge, Kate Lindner-Cendrowska, a researcher at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization at the Polish Academy of Sciences and an author of the 2024 study, told ABC News. Aziz Behich #16 of Australia passes the ball during a training session at Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club, June 3, 2026, in Alameda, Calif. Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images Efforts to help athletes acclimatize to hot weather could help preserve peak performance, the experts said. Trainers will utilize sports science to prepare the athletes for a performance advantage in hot conditions, according to Casa. An athlete from a colder climate who will be based in a warmer climate should give themselves 10 to 14 days of exposure to the heat to get used to the weather, Crandall said.