After issues at the World Cup, FIFA has a plan to deal with extreme heat at the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is expected to undergo changes to mitigate high temperatures during matches, a topic that was the subject of criticism and concern by players, coaches and fans during the Club World Cup, held in the country.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that during next year's competition, closed stadiums with air conditioning will be used as much as possible for matches scheduled in the daytime.

According to The Guardian, Infantino confirmed there would be increased use of air-conditioned venues in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver.

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across 16 cities: 11 in the USA, two in Canada and three in Mexico. Among the indoor venues, Vancouver has the lowest average temperatures in June and July.

“Heat is definitely an issue around the world. I remember it being the same at the Paris Olympics and in other football matches. But we have covered stadiums in the United States, and one in Canada — Vancouver — and we will certainly make greater use of those during the day,” Infantino stated.

FIFA will also need to plan around the time zone differences across the host nations, which could present challenges during the tournament’s scheduling and broadcasting.

The United States spans six time zones: Hawaii-Aleutian, Alaska, Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern. Canada also has six, including Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Atlantic and Newfoundland. Mexico operates across four: Southeast, Central, Pacific and Northwest.

This complexity means TV broadcasters—both free-to-air and pay-TV—will have to adapt their schedules to accommodate different regional timings. FIFA has yet to announce how it will coordinate match timings across these zones.

Enzo Fernandez issues warning over World Cup heat risk

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Chelsea’s Club World Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain, Enzo Fernandez raised concerns about extreme heat, describing a worrying moment during the previous match against Fluminense.

“Thank you for asking that question, because the heat is unbearable. The other day (against Fluminense), I got dizzy during one play. I had to lie down — I felt light-headed,” the Argentine midfielder said.

He went on to warn tournament organisers that the conditions not only affect players but also pose risks for fans in the stands. Enzo urged FIFA to act ahead of the 2026 tournament.

“Playing in this kind of heat is very dangerous and ruins the spectacle  —not just for us, but for fans in the stadium and those watching at home. The pace of the game drops massively; everything becomes slower. Hopefully next year, they’ll adjust the schedule to keep the football attractive,” he added.

More incidents during Club World Cup highlight the heat issue

The first major incident occurred during the group stage match between Borussia Dortmund and Mamelodi Sundowns at the TQL Stadium in Ohio. During the first half, Dortmund substitutes chose to stay inside the dressing room rather than sit pitchside due to the scorching conditions.

Later, players were seen using parasols on the bench to seek shade, trying to cope with temperatures of 32 °C and a real-feel of 36 °C at midday local time.

This was not the only match affected. On 15 June, temperatures during PSG’s game against Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena reached 35 °C, with a heat index close to 40 °C.

Atletico left-back Javi Galán described the experience as nearly suffocating. “It was almost asphyxiating, and the ball was moving extremely fast on the pitch. We’re not used to playing at that time of day, but that’s not an excuse—it was the same for everyone,” Galán said.

In response to the conditions, Chelsea installed industrial fans and cooling sprays at their training base in Subaru Park, Pennsylvania, while head coach Enzo Maresca even reduced the length of some training sessions.

This article was originally published on Trivela.