World Cups will have to deal with early kick-offs and rescheduled matches due to heat

The FIFA Club World Cup has vividly demonstrated the impact of global warming on football. Sweltering heat led to a significant drop in match tempo, with substitutes having to watch games from the locker rooms. But experts warn this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Details: The Pitches in Peril report has delivered the first stress test for the stadiums of the 2026, 2030, and 2034 World Cups, as well as amateur pitches linked to eight football legends, following the methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The findings are far from reassuring.

Thirteen stadiums across Canada, Mexico, and the United States already experience temperatures above FIFA’s mandatory cooling break threshold—over 28 degrees Celsius—at least once each summer. In Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, and Monterrey, this threshold is exceeded for two or more consecutive months.

As a result, early kick-offs, mandatory water breaks, closed stadium roofs, and even match postponements could become the new normal for summer World Cups.

Reminder: Previously, the Dailysports team prepared a summary of all the participants in the North American tournament.