Ten of the 16 stadiums that will host the 2026 World Cup soccer matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico are already exceeding safety limits for play due to heat, according to a report released Tuesday.
Current heat levels and projections to 2050 mean, the analysis says, that the next one “could be the last World Cup in the region” of North America, at least with the present summer calendar model, the current type of infrastructure and the limited climate protocols.
Extreme heat threatens World Cup stadiums
“Climate risks may demand very different planning for when, where and how matches are played,” adds the ‘Pitches in Peril’ report, produced by the ngos Football for Future and Common Goal and climate risk analysis firm Jupiter Intelligence.
The authors divide the days into ‘playable’, ‘playable after adaptation’ and ‘unplayable’ and point out that in this 2025 Houston Stadium already has 51 ‘unplayable’ days.
There are 33 in Dallas, 17 in Kansas, 9 in Atlanta and Monterrey, 8 in Miami, 7 in Philadelphia, 3 in New Jersey, 2 in Boston and one in Los Angeles for temperatures above 35 degrees WBGT, a heat stress index that evaluates the heat perceived by a person.
But by 2050 “extreme heat will be the new normal” and “nearly 90 percent of North American stadiums will have to adapt” to it.
The ‘unplayable’ days in the 2026 World Cup will increase, for example, to 92 in Houston, 64 in Dallas, 54 in Miami or 29 in Monterrey.
Juan Mata warns about climate crisis
The document gathers opinions of players such as Juan Mata, world champion in 2010, who states:
“As a Spaniard, I cannot ignore the reality of the climate crisis. We are seeing it more clearly than ever, from unprecedented heat waves to floods like those in Valencia.”
“Football has always brought people together, but now it also reminds us of what we stand to lose if we don’t act.”
Looking ahead, the report also analyzes the conditions of two stadiums that are likely to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and the King Salman in Riyadh.
Serious exposure to drought at the Bernabéu
The study only foresees two days at the Bernabéu with a WBGT index above 32 °C in 2030.
Although other indicators show a broader trend of increasing heat, “with a clear shift towards longer and more frequent periods of extreme heat”.
But the stadium “also faces severe exposure to drought.”
Water stress levels, which reflect the relationship between water demand and available supply, “are already high and are expected to worsen:
3.4 in 2025 (demand will exceed supply by more than three times), 3.5 in 2030 and 4.5 in 2050.”
These conditions “put increasing pressure on the local water system, which could affect irrigation and cooling systems, sanitation and regional water security in general,” the report concludes.
As for the King Salman Stadium, under construction and scheduled for completion in 2029, conditions with a WBGT above 35 °C – considered unsafe – of two days are expected in the area in 2025, four in 2035 and 14 in 2050.
Climate projections show that the area surrounding the stadium is already experiencing “extremely high water stress, with demand far exceeding the available renewable supply.”
Soccer, leader
The authors of the report believe that soccer can lead the fight against climate change because of its ability to reach out to governments, cities, civil society and fans.
“Tournaments (such as the upcoming World Cup 2026) offer a unique opportunity to test bold ideas, generate public support and model systemic transformation,” they say, EFE reported.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
