Climate & Comp
East Rutherford, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) – When the kickoff to the 2026 World Cup begins, it will be 3 p.m. in East Rutherford, New Jersey – one of the hottest parts of the day – and some scientists fear the heat could endanger players, referees and fans.
Typically, on July 19, East Rutherford boasts temperatures around 87 degrees with peaks often reaching into the 90s, according to AccuWeather. This year forecasts show the temperatures could remain high. On June 6, at 5 p.m., about the time the finals of the World Cup would be finishing up, the temperature around MetLife Stadium was 90 – dangerously high for selected groups, officials said.
With the World Cup just days away, scientists are warning some of the times for the games when combined with high temperatures, could endanger millions of players, staff, refs, coaches and fans around the country.
According to an analysis by NPR, more than one third of the World Cup matches are at high risk for dangerously hot and humid conditions. Dozens more matches are at a moderate heat risk. Two of the high-risk games are the game that determines third place as well as the World Cup final.
“Players can overheat, and match officials as well,” Donal Mullan, a climate scientist studying heat risk at the 2026 World Cup told NPR. “They can also overheat and collapse. This has happened to people.”
In fact, in 2024 during the Copa America match between Canada and Peru, an assistant referee, Humberto Panjoj, collapsed on the field in Kansas City. Panjoj, who had been running on the non-shaded part of the stadium and remained motionless as Canada goalkeeper Maime Crepeau ran to assist him and motioned for medical attention. Panjoj was able to stand briefly before being taken off the field on a stretcher.
According to Crepeau, players were not given water breaks at the 30-minute mark, standard procedure when temperatures soar.
That day, June 25, the heat index was reported as 100 degrees when the match began at 5 p.m.
At another 2024 match, held in Miami, a star player for Uruguay left the game at halftime and later reported being dizzy and dehydrated.
In 2017, professional soccer player Rachel Daly posted on X: “those conditions are not safe to play at your maximum,” after she collapsed due to heat exhaustion during a match in Houston.
The final World Cup match is scheduled for 3 p.m. on July 19. According to FIFA’s database of health-related guidelines, the organization will assess emerging health issues that could impact football including climate change and air pollution, and how they might affect player welfare. But it’s not enough, a group of 20 scientists from around the world said in a letter to FIFA on May 16. They are urging FIFA to take more precautions for player and ref safety.
“The preventive heat-stress framework proposed by FIFPRO recognizes … a decision threshold requiring a cooling break in each half, and if exceeding 28°C it proposes the delay or postponement of fixtures, rather than reactive mitigation once dangerous strain has already developed,” the scientists wrote. “When it comes to cooling breaks, it is clear that the 3-minute breaks that FIFA has adopted for all matches are too short to have a meaningful impact on rehydration and body cooling. Additionally, match officials are especially placed at risk, particularly the on pitch referee, as they will often be conditioned to a lower level than elite players, yet still required to cope with the same conditions.”
“We respectfully urge FIFA to adopt heat-management protocols that prioritize prevention over response, and that align with contemporary exercise physiology, occupational health principles, and duty-of-care standards expected in elite sport,” they wrote. “For cooling breaks, they should be at least 6 minutes so that sufficient time is provided to meaningfully impact the rehydration and core temperature responses. Finally, locker rooms at FIFA events should have the right equipment for aggressive pre-game and half-time cooling. All these policies should be regularly evaluated and updated on the basis of the best available science.”
The scientists also called on FIFA to create clearer protocols for delaying or postponing games in extreme conditions. Experts warn temperatures in 14 of the 16 stadiums being used could exceed dangerous levels.
FIFA has declined to comment on the letter, or the scientists claims, but has said it would use a “tiered heat mitigation model” at the tournament, with measures adapted to real-time conditions.
A spokesperson for FIFA told NPR the organization “is committed to protecting the health and safety of players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff.” The spokesman said many games had been scheduled for “cooler afternoon and evening hours,” and that extra water breaks for players and referees had been added. Additionally, the organization said it had installed air conditioning on the sidelines to help those sitting on the benches.
“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 prioritized for covered stadiums where possible,” the spokesperson said.
NPR’s analysis found that of 104 scheduled games, 67 of them are scheduled to be held in locations and times at times that come with potential danger for heat illnesses. Thirty-nine of those games are at high risk.
But the games could put more than players and refs at risk.
Large events require thousands of extra workers, many of whom will be working outside. For instance, the federal government will spend $625 million on local security in U.S. host cities, with some of that going to overtime for police covering security at matches and
Jennifer Vanos, who studies heat policy at Arizona State University, said those workers could face dangerously hot conditions, especially if they’re exposed to the sun during the hottest part of the day. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that workers be given water and shade breaks to prevent heat illness, however, some states do not have laws on the books to enforce those recommendations.
