Heat Could be a Factor at 2026 World Cup

Introduction to the 2026 World Cup

For teams coming to next year’s FIFA World Cup, Friday was about learning opponents. Saturday was for finding out other logistics — the sites and times of games. The entire schedule for the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States was revealed Saturday, a day after the draw divided the 48-team field into a dozen groups of four for the preliminary round. Now every team knows how much travel it will face while playing its first — and possibly only — three games. They can also estimate how much the heat will be a factor.

Preparing for the Heat

Even Canada coach Jesse Marsch — whose team will stay north of the border in Toronto and Vancouver while playing in Group B — is taking the weather into account. Canada opens in Toronto against the winner of a European playoff, and that game is at 3 p.m. so it could conceivably be pretty warm. “We’re going to make sure our guys are fit,” Marsch said. “We’re going to make sure that they acclimatize to what the weather could be.”

History of Heat at World Cups

Heat has long been an issue at World Cups. The Qatar tournament in 2022 was played later in the year because of it. The last time the U.S. hosted a World Cup in 1994, games were mostly during the day. That was convenient for television viewers in Europe, but it made for some sweltering conditions in places like the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Over three decades later, that venue isn’t being used at the 2026 World Cup. Instead, games in the Dallas area will be played in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium — and the home of the NFL’s Cowboys has a retractable roof. So do the stadiums in Houston and Atlanta that are being used.

Stadiums with Heat Concerns

SoFi Stadium — the Los Angeles Rams’ home in Inglewood, California — has a roof, but air from the outside can flow in. With five afternoon games on the schedule, SoFi is a spot where temperatures could soar. The Mexican sites — Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey — could become heat concerns as well. American soccer fans are well aware of how oppressive conditions at Azteca can be, in terms of both the temperature and the altitude, for visiting teams. But in this tournament, almost all the games at the three Mexican venues are at night.

The Data

Here are the group stage games where heat is most likely to be an issue at kickoff. This is based on 30-year averages of Accuweather’s “RealFeel” temperature. Because of their roofs, Arlington, Houston, and Atlanta are not included. All times local:

• 88 degrees — Switzerland vs. Winner of European Playoff A (June 18 at 12 p.m. in Inglewood)
• 87 degrees — Belgium vs. Iran (June 21 at 12 p.m. in Inglewood)
• 87 degrees — Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (June 25 at 4 p.m. in Philadelphia)
• 86 degrees — Tunisia vs. Netherlands (June 25 at 6 p.m. in Kansas City, Missouri)
• 85 degrees — Scotland vs. Brazil (June 24 at 6 p.m. in Miami Gardens, Florida)
• 85 degrees — Ecuador vs. Germany (June 25 at 4 p.m. in East Rutherford, New Jersey)
• 85 degrees — Norway vs. France (June 26 at 3 p.m. in Foxborough, Massachusetts)
• 84 degrees — Qatar vs. Switzerland (June 13 at 12 p.m. in Santa Clara, California)
• 84 degrees — Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (June 21 at 6 p.m. in Miami Gardens)
• 84 degrees — South Africa vs. South Korea (June 24 at 7 p.m. in Monterrey)
• 84 degrees — Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (June 15 at 6 p.m. in Miami Gardens)
• 84 degrees — Winner of European Playoff B vs. Tunisia (June 14 at 8 p.m. in Monterrey)

Convenient Schedules

The following teams have back-to-back group stage games at the same site, eliminating the need for travel in between:

• South Korea plays its first two matches in Guadalajara
• Canada plays its second and third matches in Vancouver, British Columbia
• Scotland plays its first two matches in Foxborough
• Paraguay plays its second and third matches in Santa Clara
• Tunisia plays its first two matches in Monterrey
• Iran plays its first two matches in Inglewood
• New Zealand plays its second and third matches in Vancouver
• Spain plays its first two matches in Atlanta
• Uruguay plays its first two matches in Miami Gardens
• Senegal plays its first two matches in East Rutherford
• Argentina plays its second and third matches in Arlington
• Jordan plays its first two matches in Santa Clara
• Portugal plays its first two matches in Houston
• Panama plays its first two matches in Toronto

Conclusion

The heat could indeed be a significant factor in the 2026 World Cup, especially in certain venues. Teams are already taking steps to prepare for the potential heat, and the scheduling of games, including those with retractable roofs, should help mitigate some of the effects. As the tournament approaches, monitoring the weather and its impact on player performance will be crucial.

FAQs

• Q: Which stadiums have retractable roofs to help with heat?
  A: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the stadiums in Houston and Atlanta have retractable roofs.
• Q: Are all games at the Mexican venues during the day?
  A: No, almost all the games at the three Mexican venues are scheduled at night to reduce the impact of heat.
• Q: How are teams preparing for the potential heat?
  A: Teams are focusing on fitness and acclimatizing to the weather conditions expected at their venues.
• Q: Which teams have convenient schedules with back-to-back games at the same site?
  A: Several teams, including South Korea, Canada, Scotland, and others, have such schedules, which will reduce their travel and potentially help with managing the heat.