How could extreme weather affect World Cup 2026?

How could extreme weather affect World Cup 2026?Image source, GettyBySimon King Lead Weather PresenterPublished1 minute agoWith just a month to go until the biggest football tournament in the world begins, attention is turning not just to the teams and venues, but to the weather.Heat, thunderstorms and even poor air quality from wildfires are all features of summer across the United States, Canada and Mexico, where the tournament will be held.Humidity may also be a key factor in any disruption to the World Cup caused by the weather. Fifa have acknowledged that hot weather could be an issue and, as part of their "commitment to player welfare", have introduced mandatory three-minute cooling breaks in each half of every match for the tournament.Image source, GettyImage caption, Thunderstorms during the Fifa Club World Cup in 2025 meant there were multiple games delayed During the Fifa Club World Cup last year, six football matches were disrupted due to heat and thunderstorms, including a two-hour delay during a match between Chelsea and Benfica. It prompted the Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to say the US is "probably not the right place to do the competition".How hot is it likely to get?Many of the host cities are accustomed to high summer temperatures.In parts of the southern United States and northern Mexico, average daytime highs are typically in the low to mid-30s C (mid 90F) and can rise towards 40C (104F) during hotter spells.Image caption, When temperature, humidity, wind speeds and the strength of the sunshine are factored in, players in these World Cup host cities are at greatest risk of experiencing extreme levels of heat stress on the bodyWhen you add humidity into the equation, making it more difficult for the body to cool itself effectively, things start to feel hotter still. There are two heat indexes you will get to hear a lot about this summer. One is the 'feels like', which is how your body feels the heat rather than what t...