FIFA urged to consider major changes including revised kick-off times for 2026 World Cup due to extreme weather in USA

The international players' union, FIFPRO, says the conditions at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States, which have been in the high 30s, are likely to be replicated at next year's World Cup and, therefore, changes should be made for footballers' welfare. The union wants FIFA to increase drinks breaks, extend half-time intervals from 15 to 20 minutes, and consider moving kick-off starts to cooler times.

FIFPRO's chief medical officer, Professor Vincent Gouttebarge, told The Times: "Only giving players 15 minutes is not enough at these temperatures - you cannot ingest enough in such a short time. If we anticipate the biggest tournament on earth next year and in Mexico as well there are some venues where games played during the afternoon are likely to be very extreme for health and performance of the players. We are anticipating that there are going to be more problems for the coming years in the 2030 World Cup in Spain and Portugal, perhaps even worse."

The union's director of global policy, Alexander Bielefeld, added: "What we have seen in the Club World Cup has to be a wake-up call for FIFA. It’s clear that certain areas in the USA, especially in Florida, where there is a higher risk and a need to avoid midday kick-offs - so games scheduled in these cities should be moved to a later time. The health and safety of players must take priority over commercial interests, including the broadcasters."

The United States, Mexico, and Canada are preparing to host the 2026 World Cup but this extreme weather could provide them with a real issue. FIFPRO state that nine of the 16 host cities have "very high" or "extremely high" risk of heat stress injuries during the tournament, which could force the competition organisers into a rethink.

As concerns mount about high temperatures at the Club World Cup, questions will continue to fester over whether or not changes will be made for next year's World Cup - which gets underway on June 11, 2026, and runs until July 19, 2026.