President of the Society among a group of world leading scientists calling FIFA to update its heat safety measures to address dangerous heat stress risk for players at the men’s 2026 World Cup.
“Some of the venues for the 2026 World Cup are likely to exceed the recommended heat-related “high risk” threshold, especially during afternoon kick-offs,” warns Professor Mike Tipton, President of the Physiological Society from Extreme Environments Lab, University of Portsmouth. He explains that this is due in part to climate-change driven increases in environmental thermal stress.
Professor Mike Tipton is among a group of 20 leading international experts in health, climate and sports performance who have urged FIFA to address dangerous heat stress risk for players at the men’s 2026 World Cup. Players will be competing in extreme heat, with temperatures and humidity expected to soar in the 16 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada that will host the tournament.
In their open letter to the football governing body, the experts call FIFA to update its inadequate safety guidelines, warning that FIFA’s current safe levels for player activity under extremely hot conditions are “impossible to justify”, even for acclimatised athletes.
Health standards for competing in hot environments
“Competitive exercise in hot environments can lead to a range of problems from impaired performance and enforced alterations in game strategy, to the medical emergency of heat stroke,” states Professor Tipton. FIFA’s current heat safety guidelines are out of alignment with occupational health standards that apply to people engaged in strenuous activity in hot conditions. This is recognised by groups including the International Standards Organization, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the US Department of Labour, the International Cycling Union (UCI), and FIFPRO, the professional footballers representative body.
“Amongst the most important ways of minimising the chance of such hazards is to employ effective interventions, including complying with internationally recognised heat-related thresholds for the postponement or relocation of events,” advises Professor Tipton.
Hydration and cooling breaks to be extended
“The science supports the concept that high intensity sport above a 28°C Wet Bulb Globe Temperature can compromise performance and put a player at risk. The fact that under current FIFA Guidelines action will only be taken above 32°C is far from optimal,” stresses Professor Douglas Casa, CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WGBT) of 32°C is a measure that considers humidity, temperature, wind speed and solar radiation. Professor Case and the open letter signatories point out that the expected air temperature of 45°C and relative humidity of 20% would give a WGBT value of 31.9°C. They also call for the hydration break in each half to be extended from three minutes to least five minutes or preferably six.
Fossil fuel promotion at the tournament
“Climate change threatens human health and survival, now. In this regard, the World Cup shines less bright, tarnished by its core funding coming from a major polluter and by the threat posed to players by the extreme temperatures to which they may now be exposed,” says Professor Hugh Montgomery OBE, Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at University College London.
Professor Montgomery’s comment refers to FIFA’s controversial sponsorship deal with Aramco, the world’s largest producer of oil. The open letter signatories raise their concerns of FIFA’s “active promotion” of fossil fuels which they think represents a “conflict of interest with the protection of player welfare”. The 2026 World Cup has expanded to 48 teams and 16 cities in three countries, requiring a large increase in air travel by fans and players. This year’s tournament is expected to be the highest polluting carbon event in the World Cup’s history.
Read the open letter to learn more about heat stress, player welfare, and the conflict of interest around fossil fuels.