World Cup 2026 will take place in the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. In which, high temperatures, many places above 30 degrees Celsius, high humidity are major challenges, affecting spectators and players.
At the 10-day Climate Conference held in Bonn, Germany, the United Nations Climate Secretariat issued a statement: "The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the biggest tournament in football history, will be held at a time when extreme heat levels are increasing, due to increasingly serious climate change, affecting billions of people around the world.
This extremely high temperature is expected to be part of the tournament story, on the pitch, in the stands, around stadiums and throughout the host cities”.
The United Nations agency noted that it is expected that every four matches in the tournament there will be one match in dangerous hot weather, adding that while players can receive rapid medical care, that may not happen to fans.
The biggest danger may be outside the stadium. The area for fans, when they line up to wait, traffic routes, parking lots and outdoor festivals can cause people to be exposed to dangerous temperatures for hours. It's hot and getting hotter. It's no coincidence. It's climate change," the United Nations Climate Secretariat announced.
The warning from the United Nations Climate Secretariat was issued just days after FIFA reversed its decision to ban fans from bringing empty plastic water bottles into stadiums.
FIFA has lifted the ban after criticism from groups of fans, who emphasized the health risks of making it difficult for fans to keep enough water in hot and humid weather conditions.
At the 2026 World Cup, each half players will have 3 minutes to drink water. This is one of FIFA's changes to deal with the hot weather at the tournament.
