Playing football in temperatures of almost 50°: the extreme thermal stress that awaits players at the next World Cup | COUNTRY Express

Players at the next World Cup, to be held in June-July 2026 in Canada, the United States and Mexico, will be exposed to extreme temperatures of around 50 degrees. These are the results of a study that warns that they will suffer from severe thermal stress.

But how can you tell? Sports organizations typically measure these conditions using WBGT, a metric that evaluates temperature, humidity, wind and solar radiation.

• But the study says it doesn’t really reflect players’ heat stress because it doesn’t take into account the athlete’s heat output, the clothing they’re wearing or the body’s movement with air speed.
• So they proposed another indicator called the Universal Heat Climate Index, which adds parameters to measure the body’s response to heat.

And they conclude that 10 of the 16 venues planned for the World Cup could put footballers at risk:

• On the grass of stadiums in Arlington, Houston and Monterrey, players could lose much more than a kilogram of sweat in an hour.
• And UTCI can be 49.5°.

And what do they offer? Take steps to prevent football players from losing their performance or, worse, deteriorating in their health.

• They propose installing air conditioners in stadiums.
• Reschedule this type of event for the spring or fall.
• And that football players undergo thermal stress tests.

© Photo: Michael Steele (Getty Images)

If you want to know more, you can read here.