How FIFA president’s plan to deal with heat at World Cup may affect matches in KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- FIFA plans to use domed stadiums for daytime 2026 World Cup matches to offset heat.
- Kansas City’s World Cup games could shift to night due to lack of stadium cover.
- FIFA and U.S. Weather Service created city-specific safety plans for match conditions.
One reason for the Club World Cup being held in the United States was to allow FIFA to gauge what issues it might face next summer when an even bigger tournament comes to North America.
The 2026 World Cup.
There weren’t problems with the logistics at the Club World Cup, which ended Sunday. The weather conditions, however, were a hot topic.
After Paris Saint-Germain routed Atletico Madrid 4-0 on June 15 in Los Angeles, there were complaints about the sweltering conditions.
“It’s impossible, it’s terribly hot,” Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente told Yahoo Sports. “My toes were sore, my toenails were hurting, I couldn’t stop and start. … It’s unbelievable.”
Later, in a round-of-16 game, 10 overheated players from the Italian side Juventus asked to be subbed out of their match in Miami against Real Madrid.
And the German club Dortmund had its reserve players watch a game from the locker room to stay cool.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be played from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and hot temperatures again could be an issue. There will be four games each day in the first two weeks of group-stage play, including four matches in Kansas City.
Two knockout matches also will be held at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. On five of the dates when games are scheduled in KC, the high temperature in Kansas City reached 90 degrees this year. The warmest day was June 20 when it was 93. The only date that didn’t reach 90 was June 16, when the high was 87.
Because of the number of games and FIFA’s desire to have them available to be viewed in prime time in Europe and Africa, there likely will be daytime starts for matches during the World Cup.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino was asked about dealing with the heat at the 2026 World Cup during a news conference last weekend in New York.
“Every criticism we receive is a source for us to study and analyze what we can do better,” Infantino said, per ESPN. “Of course the heat is an issue. Last year, at the Olympic Games in Paris, games during the day, in all sports, took place in very hot conditions.
“Cooling breaks are very important and we will see what we can do, but we have stadiums with roofs and we will definitely use these stadiums during the day next year.”
Five stadiums have a roof. BC Place Vancouver, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and NRG Stadium in Houston are all domes. SoFi Stadium, which is the Los Angeles venue, has a roof but it has openings on three sides to allow for air flow.
But 11 stadiums, including Arrowhead, do not have a roof.
What it means for Kansas City
Kansas City, unfortunately, has seen just how terrible the heat can be during a major tournament. At last year’s Copa America, a referee’s assistant collapsed during Canada’s 1-0 win over Peru at Children’s Mercy Park.
That match began in the late afternoon when the heat index had reached triple digits. Canadian players were displeased.
“It can’t be a 5 o’clock kickoff,” defender Alistair Johnston said that day. “That’s the simplest one. ... It’s gotta be an 8 or 9 o’clock kickoff. Because honestly, it’s not even safe for the fans.”
The 2026 World Cup matches in Kansas City will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, which provides no protection from the elements in the upper deck.
Start times for the 2026 World Cup matches have not been announced. But if FIFA intends to use the domed stadiums for day games, that means matches at Arrowhead Stadium could be held at night.
FIFA has been briefed about Kansas City’s hot and humid conditions during the summer.
Ben Schott of the National Weather Service told the Athletic his agency is working with FIFA to develop a safety plan for matches at Arrowhead Stadium and the other 10 cities that will have World Cup games.
“They’ve already developed a hazards weather plan that they presented to the FIFA officials,” Schott told The Athletic, “and it broke it down city by city, the threats that are possible in each of the cities that the World Cup will be participating in.”
This story includes reporting by The Star’s Blair Kerkhoff
