The 2026 World Cup, with games in the United States, Mexico and Canada, may be the last in North America without urgent climate adaptation measures, according to a new study that highlights extreme climate threats.
The report “Campos in danger”, compiled by Football for the Future, Common Goal and Jupiter Intelligence, pointed out that 10 of the 16 headquarters are at very high risk of experimenting extreme conditions of thermal stress.
By 2050, almost 90% of World Cup stadiums will need adaptation to extreme heat. Also according to the study, one third of these arenas will have problems with water demand, which will be equal to or greater than the supply capacity.
The report also highlighted risks to the World Cup headquarters of 2030 and 2034 and examined the impact of climate warming on base soccer fields that have been used by 18 iconic players.
“Like someone in Spain, I can’t ignore the climate crisis,” said Spanish world champion Juan Mata, referring to the devastating valence of valence last year. “Football has always united people, but now it’s also a reminder of what we can lose.”
This year’s Club World Cup in the United States has offered a worrying preview, with conditions described as “impossible” by several players.
The tournament faced extreme heat and storms that forced the FIFA (International Football Federation) to adapt protocols – leading to cooling and hydration pauses, shadow seats and fans.
According to the report, 14 of the 16 World Cup stadiums 2026 exceeded the safety limits for game in 2025 in at least three items: extreme heat, rainfall that makes it impossible for game and flooding.
Thirteen already experience at least one day every summer exceeding the FIFA limit for 32 ° C moisturizing breaks in WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature) – an internationally recognized index used to measure human thermal stress under direct sunlight.
The temperatures in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami and Monterrey exceeded this mark for two months or more.
Ten experience at least one day each summer with 35 degrees WBGT – identified by climate scientists such as the limit of human adaptability to extreme heat, with Dallas (31 days) and Houston (51) being the most affected.
Although the stadiums of Dallas and Houston mitigate the heat with ceilings, climate risks extend beyond elite stadiums.
The report says that the hometown field of striker Mo Salah in Egypt may face more than a month of heat that makes the game unable to be, while the Nigerian Captain’s field of childhood William Troost-Ekong can see 338 days of extreme heat by 2050.
“As we advance in the decade, the risks will continue to grow unless we take drastic measures, such as transferring competitions to winter months or colder regions,” said Piers Forster, director of the Priestley Center for Climatic Futures in Leeds.
The 96 -page report urges the football industry to commit to zero net emissions by 2040 and publish reliable plans. It also asks tournament organizers to create adaptation funds.
According to the report’s organizers, 91% of the 3,600 fans interviewed in the three host countries want the 2026 World Cup, the largest edition of all time, to be a sustainability model.
However, with 48 nations and 104 matches spread across a vast continent – according to a recent report by scientists for global responsibility (SGR) in conjunction with the Environmental Defense Fund and the Climate Sports Action Network – it will be the most “harmful to the climate” of all time.
