Jasmyne Spencer is a professional soccer player – most recently helping the Vancouver Rise win the inaugural season of the Northern Super League last year. That’s the top level of women’s soccer in Canada.
Her career, however, includes stops at several teams within this country’s National Women’s Soccer League. One of those stops was a year with the Houston Dash…
“The game was at 3pm in Houston – because of TV rights, that was the mandated kickoff time – and she actually passed out from heat exhaustion on live TV during the game,” she recalls. “And I feel like that was the first time where I was like, ‘At what cost?’”
Playing in extreme heat is becoming more and more of a reality for professional athletes amidst a warming climate. And that will be prominently on display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with more than 1,200 players across 48 teams flocking to sites across North America for the biggest sports tournament on the planet that kicked off this week.
Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that researches and reports on climate change and its impacts on people’s lives, recently conducted an analysis on how that warming climate will impact this year’s World Cup.
The group looked at the frequency of what they call “extremely hot days” – essentially in the top 10% of hottest days since 1970 in June and July for the 16 host cities.
“Extremely hot June-July days are on the rise at nearly all stadiums – so 14 out of 16 host stadiums,” says Kaitlyn Trudeau, Applied Climate Scientist for Climate Central. “49% of all of these days experienced since 1970 are due to human-caused climate change, which means they’re linked to pollution from burning coal, oil and gas.”
In addition, the group also utilized a study conducted on World Cup players in 2014 that found observable declines in key performance metrics for those athletes when temperatures rose above 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit. That study found that “conditions most comfortable for physical activity on the part of players” occurs at that temperature threshold and when relative humidity values are below 60%.
For Climate Central, they refer to anything over 82.4 degrees as “performance impairing heat.”
“And so, we found 97 out of 104 scheduled matches are more likely to see performance impairing heat due to climate change. On average, climate change boosted the odds about eight percentage points across all matches. And at least 49 matches have at least a 50% chance of this performance impairing heat,” Trudeau says. “And climate change’s best single match impact is going to be June 26th in Guadalajara, where the odds of performance impairing heat are as high as 70%, and climate change increased that by 37 percentage points, so a pretty huge impact there for climate change.”
Long story short… players across the vast majority of matches in this year’s World Cup face the reality that the heat will have an impact on their play.
“As we continue into the future with continued carbon pollution, it’s going to get harder to safely hold events like this when they’re outdoors and they’re during times of extreme heat,” Trudeau says.
During the last World Cup in 2022, FIFA – football’s global governing body – actually moved the tournament from the summer months in the largely desert country of Qatar to the winter in an attempt to beat the heat.
“And I feel like that was the first time where I was like, ‘At what cost?’”
In a lengthy statement provided for this story (which can be found in its entirety below), FIFA says it is “committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff. Climate-related risks are assessed as part of overall tournament planning and managed in close coordination with host cities, stadium authorities and national agencies.”
The organization adds that it has a number of precautions and strategies in place for this year’s World Cup – including “dedicated meteorological support in place throughout the tournament.” All 104 matches will also include three-minute hydration breaks, climate-controlled benches for technical staff and the provision of electrolyte drinks, ice, fans and shade.
Those hydration breaks have been implemented across the sport. And while professional soccer player Jasmyne Spencer appreciates the effort, she’s not a fan…
“Because the three minutes that you’re allotted is not a significant time for me to regulate my body temperature before having to repeat the exertion that I have to do. And, it’s not like those three minutes disappear,” she says. “The way soccer works; it’s just added on in stoppage time. So, instead of playing that 45 minutes straight, I’m now playing 48 minutes. They’re just tacked on to the back end of the half.”
For athletes, fans, referees – and really anyone outside during the summer months – the heat itself isn’t the only thing to consider.
“We know that when the humidity is really high, our body does have a harder time perspirating and getting rid of that extra energy,” says Craig Ramseyer, an associate professor within the Department of Geography at Virginia Tech. “And so, while extreme heat is one part of that equation, here in the U.S., we have large amounts of moisture, humidity – particularly east of the Rockies – and that just actually adds and compounds the issues that we see with high temperatures.”
This can make being outside in the summer unbearable at times, even if the temperature isn’t abnormally high.
“Let’s say it’s 85 degrees. Someone could head out to one of these World Cup games and be like, ‘Oh, it could’ve been 90s,’ right? But if it’s really high humidity, and especially as we turn the calendar to July – that’s one of our peak moisture content months,” Ramseyer says. “And so, really high dew points, really high relative humidities, even in the 80s – you could be at risk.”
When it comes to examining the risk of heat stress, temperature and humidity are vital to consider, but Andrew Grundstein, a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Georgia, says the wind plays a role as well.
“If the air temperature’s below your skin temperature, it can whisk heat away and make you feel better,” he says. “But if you’re out in Arizona and it’s 115, that wind is actually going to add energy to your body. So, you really have to look at all of these factors to look at the heat stress.”
All of these components of heat stress are amplified for professional athletes for one key reason…
“If it’s a hot day, they’re already at more risk – but because they’re exercising, their body’s generating its own heat. So, in combination, those two can really cause problems,” Grundstein says.
So, it’s getting hotter and hotter and athletes are particularly at risk – not to mention the fans sitting in the stands under the beaming sun or the workers and referees required to put on a massive event like the World Cup… what can be done to make sure sport can be conducted safely amidst a warming climate?
Grundstein says the hydration breaks are a great start, and organizations like FIFA should consider holding more of these games in climate-controlled stadiums. And athletes can be better prepared by simply showing up early.
“So, one of the things is acclimatizing – getting used to the place you’re going to compete in. So, say athletes from, say, Scandinavian countries – aren’t used to this,” he says. “So, I hope they get over here and have time to adjust.”
For Jasmyne Spencer, she recognizes FIFA and other organizational bodies in the sport are at least trying.
“I feel like what actually needs to be done is have more of these conversations – acknowledge that there is heat and that it does impair performance. And then, try to be proactive in ways that we can mitigate continuous effects of climate change.”
Hopefully those conversations and proactive responses will continue to happen ahead of the next edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2030 – which will feature a three-match celebration in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to mark the 100th anniversary of the very first World Cup.
Here is FIFA's entire statement to Radio IQ on the matter of keeping players safe from the heat:
FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff. Climate-related risks are assessed as part of overall tournament planning and managed in close coordination with the Host Cities, stadium authorities and national agencies.
Building on experience from recent tournaments, a tiered heat mitigation model will apply for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. When forecasts indicate elevated temperatures (e.g. above defined thresholds), venues will activate additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses and expanded water distribution. Work-rest cycles for staff and volunteers are adapted accordingly, and first-aid readiness is reinforced with clear triage and escalation pathways for suspected heat illness. These measures scale dynamically based on real-time conditions before and during each event.
Additionally, FIFA will have dedicated meteorological support in place throughout the tournament, both centrally and in the Host Cities, to ensure access to the most accurate forecasting data and to strengthen real-time decision-making capabilities.
From a player welfare perspective, all 104 matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half, regardless of weather conditions. In addition, teams may make up to five substitutions, an additional substitution in extra time, and a concussion substitution, and will benefit from a minimum of three rest days between matches. There will be climate-controlled benches for technical staff and substitutes at all outdoor matches. Additional measures tailored to individual team’s needs will be implemented on matchday, including the provision of water and electrolyte drinks, ice, cold towels, fans, mist and shade.
Furthermore, the chief medical officers of the Participating Member Associations attended an education module on heat mitigation strategies and management of heat-related illnesses during the team doctor workshop held in March, with heat experts advising on how to prepare for hot conditions and benefit maximally from acclimatisation and acclimation effects on performance and health during the pre-tournament period. FIFA has also developed a Medical Set Piece Protocol for exertional heat illness that includes the use of bespoke cooling bags that allow immediate treatment at any location. All FIFA match doctors who will be deployed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 have been trained accordingly.
Weather preparedness extends beyond heat. FIFA’s emergency preparedness team meets regularly with national meteorological and emergency management authorities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as with partners across all 16 Host Cities. A comprehensive, tournament-wide preparedness exercise focusing on severe weather scenarios has further strengthened cross-agency coordination and operational readiness. Stadiums are required to maintain robust risk management and evacuation procedures, including lightning and severe weather protocols aligned with local legislation and international best practice.
Scheduling has also been developed with climate considerations in mind. The match schedule balances sporting, operational and broadcast requirements while minimising travel, maximising rest days and accounting for local climate profiles and venue infrastructure, based on the extensive heat-risk analysis carried out by FIFA at each location. Outdoor matches during the hottest parts of the day have been strategically limited, kick-off times adjusted in certain markets, and matches expected in warmer windows prioritised for covered stadiums where possible.
In addition, FIFA has established a dedicated Heat Illness Mitigation and Management Task Force comprising medical and operational experts. The task force has finalised standardised guidance, including scalable heat-risk alert systems, operational triggers for cooling and hydration measures, harmonised stadium medical action plans, and adaptable public messaging toolkits to ensure consistent implementation across all host sites.
FIFA will continue to monitor conditions in real time, integrating Wet Bulb Globe Temperature and Heat Index surveillance, and stands ready to apply established contingency protocols should extreme weather events occur. Through close collaboration with host governments, medical experts and emergency authorities, FIFA remains committed to delivering a safe, resilient and memorable tournament experience for everyone involved.
Further details on FIFA’s heat illness management are available in the FIFA Emergency Care Manual published in 2022.
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