The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across three host countries: the United States of America (USA), Canada, and Mexico, with matches spread over 16 cities and the final to be held in New York on the 19th of July.
Owing to the tournament’s wide geographic distribution, environmental/climatological conditions are expected to differ substantially between host locations. Matches held in northern or coastal cities, particularly in Canada and along the Pacific coast of the USA, are likely to experience relatively mild temperatures. In contrast, games in more southerly and inland areas of the USA and Mexico will be subject to significantly higher temperatures, frequently approaching or exceeding temperatures of 30°C, with the potential for periods of extreme heat during daytime play. In addition, humidity levels can be high in some regions, particularly along the coasts and in the Midwest, making heat more dangerous. Figure 1 shows the locations of stadiums in which games are planned with average daily maximum temperatures and Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT), a measure for humid heat (see below) for the time of year. While World Cups are often played in the northern hemisphere summer, the high variation in the conditions is unique for this event and can make it especially difficult for players to cope (Lindner-Cendrowska et al., 2025).
