The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a tournament like no other not just because it’s the biggest ever, spread across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico but because football’s greatest stage is about to clash head-on with climate change.
A new Pitches in Peril report warns that 10 of the 16 host stadiums are at very high risk of extreme heat stress. By 2050, nearly 90% of North America’s venues will need major adaptation to survive brutal heat.
Some stadiums Dallas and Houston especially are already hitting limits that scientists call “the edge of human adaptability.” Houston alone logged 51 days last summer at conditions players simply can’t handle.
And this isn’t just about elite arenas. From Mo Salah’s old training ground in Egypt to William Troost-Ekong’s pitch in Nigeria, grassroots football is under siege. Imagine 338 days a year of unplayable heat. That’s the future unless things change.
We already saw a glimpse at this year’s Club World Cup in the U.S. Players described conditions as impossible. Matches were stopped for cooling breaks, shaded benches, and giant fans.
And remember last year’s floods in Valencia? Even legends like Juan Mata are sounding the alarm: football isn’t safe from the climate crisis.
The report lays it out clearly:
- 14 of 16 North American stadiums already face three major hazards extreme heat, rainfall chaos, and flooding.
- 13 stadiums pass FIFA’s 32°C WGBT threshold every summer.
- Fans want change too: 91% demand the 2026 tournament become a sustainability role model.
What’s the fix? Net-zero by 2040, real decarbonisation plans, and even considering winter World Cups in the future. Because right now, the planet is pressing harder than any high-intensity press we’ve ever seen on a football pitch.
The truth is simple: football unites the world but if we don’t adapt, the world’s game might not survive its greatest challenge yet.
