Extreme heat a rising threat to 2026 World Cup venues, says report

LONDON :The 2026 World Cup could be North America's last without urgent climate adaptation, according to a new study highlighting extreme weather threats.

The "Pitches in Peril" report found that 10 of the 16 venues are at very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions.

By 2050, nearly 90 per cent of North America's host stadiums will require adaptation to extreme heat while one third will face water demand equalling or exceeding supply.

The report also highlighted risks to 2030 and 2034 World Cup venues and examined the impact of a warming climate on grassroots soccer pitches once used by 18 iconic players.

"As someone from Spain, I can't ignore the climate crisis," said Spain's World Cup-winner Juan Mata, referencing last year's devastating Valencia floods.

"Football has always brought people together, but now it's also a reminder of what we stand to lose."

This year's Club World Cup in the U.S. offered a troubling preview, with conditions described as impossible by players.

The tournament saw extreme heat and thunderstorms force world soccer's governing body FIFA to adapt protocols - adding cooling and water breaks, shaded benches and air fans.

According to the report, 14 of the 16 World Cup stadiums in the U.S., Canada and Mexico exceeded safe-play thresholds in 2025 for at least three major climate hazards - extreme heat, unplayable rainfall and flooding.

Thirteen already experience at least one day each summer exceeding FIFA's threshold for drinks breaks of 32°C Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WGBT) - an internationally recognised index used to measure human heat stress in direct sunlight.

Temperatures in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami and Monterrey exceeded that mark for two months or more.

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