Host cities of the 2026 World Cup divided into risk groups. What’s going on?

Summer isn’t exactly the most comfortable time to play football, as in many countries temperatures soar above 30 degrees Celsius and sometimes even higher. The 2026 World Cup will be held in the summer, and the public is keen to minimize risks for the players.

Details: The international players’ union FIFPRO has divided the host cities into several risk groups due to the potential for heatstroke. An extremely high risk has been identified in Kansas City, Miami, and Monterrey, where matches are not recommended to be played during the day.

Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston have also been placed in this group, but it is expected that stadiums there will use closed roofs and climate control to mitigate the impact of the heat on players. Boston, Philadelphia, and Guadalajara have been labeled as "very high risk," while Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey are considered "high risk." Only San Francisco and Vancouver have been classified as "low risk."

To minimize the impact of the heat, it’s proposed that matches in hot regions should start later in the day, the halftime break should be extended from 15 to 20 minutes, and there should be more frequent stoppages to allow players to hydrate. However, FIFPRO does not have the legal authority to force FIFA to follow these recommendations and can only exert "informal pressure."

Reminder: Earlier, Jürgen Klopp criticized the introduction of the Club World Cup, calling it the worst idea anyone could have come up with.