Top Posts
Death toll from Mokwa flood rises to 153
Scientists say nearly 40% of the world’s glaciers...
Nigerian government seeks alignment of NDC climate action...
German court dismisses climate case against RWE
WHO Climate Change action plan approved
Report: World likely to breach 1.5°C limit in...
At Bonn climate talks, Brazil demands early deals...
Researchers warn Africa could face 113 million climate...
LAPO MfB launches tree-planting initiative to fight climate...
Stiell says new NDCs are about growth, antidote...
EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World
World

Footballers at ‘very high risk of extreme heat stress’ during World Cup 2026

by admineconai November 30, 2024
written by admineconai November 30, 2024
251

Researchers have warned that footballers face a “very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress” at 10 of the 16 stadiums that will host the next World Cup, just as they have urged sports authorities to rethink the timing of sports events.

Hot weather and heavy exercise could force footballers to endure temperatures that feel higher than 49.5C (121.1F) in three North American countries in 2026, ­according to the study. It found they are most at risk of “unacceptable ­thermal stress” in the stadiums in Arlington and Houston, in the US, and in Monterrey, in Mexico.

The co-author Marek Konefal, from Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences in Poland, said World Cups would increasingly be played in conditions of strong heat stress as the climate got hotter. “It is worth rethinking the calendar of sporting events now.”

Football’s governing body, Fifa, recommends matches include cooling breaks if the “wet bulb” temperature exceeds 32C. But ­scientists are concerned the metric ­underestimates the stress athletes experience on the pitch because it considers only external heat and humidity.

During intense physical activity, huge amounts of heat is produced by the work of the player’s muscles,” said Katarzyna Lindner-Cendrowska, a climate scientist at the Polish Academy of Sciences and lead author of the study. “[This] will increase the overall heat load on the athlete’s body.”

To overcome this, the researchers simulated temperatures that account for the players’ speed and activity levels, as well as their clothing. They were only partly able to include the effects of exercise in the heat index.

The highest “work rate” that can be integrated into the heat index is roughly half that sustained by professional players during a competitive football match, said Julien Périard, the deputy director of the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, who was not involved in the study. “Although the approach used in the study is a step forward, the results likely underestimate the risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions.”

The scientists found the greatest stress would strike between 2pm and 5pm at all but one of the stadiums. In Arlington and Houston, temperatures would rise above 50C during the mid to late afternoon and place a “heavy burden on the body” that could lead to heat exhaustion and even heatstroke, they found.

Heatwaves have grown hotter, longer and more common as ­fossil fuel pollution has warmed the Earth’s climate. The 2026 Fifa Men’s World Cup is sponsored by Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, and the 2034 World Cup may be hosted by its owner, Saudi Arabia.

Last year, a report by the Climate Social Science Network found Saudi Arabia had played an outsized role in undermining progress at climate negotiations. “The fossil fuel giant has a 30-year record of obstruction and delay, protecting its national oil and gas sector and seeking to ensure UN climate talks achieve as little as possible, as slowly as possible,” the authors wrote.

Saudi Aramco and Fifa did not respond to requests for comment. In April, the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, said he was “delighted” to welcome Aramco to Fifa’s family of global partners.

Story was adapted from the Guardian.

2026FootballersHeatWorld cup
0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
admineconai

previous post
Spain introduces paid climate leave after deadly floods
next post
UN court to begin hearings on landmark climate change case

Related Posts

Scientists say nearly 40% of the world’s glaciers...

June 3, 2025

German court dismisses climate case against RWE

May 28, 2025

WHO Climate Change action plan approved

May 28, 2025

Report: World likely to breach 1.5°C limit in...

May 28, 2025

At Bonn climate talks, Brazil demands early deals...

May 23, 2025

Guterres raises alarm over rapid Himalayan glacier melt

May 17, 2025

Study shows two-thirds of global warming caused by...

May 8, 2025

Weather expert warns climate change to hit agriculture...

May 5, 2025

Trump dismisses authors of major climate report

April 30, 2025

New UN report shows Indigenous Peoples sidelined in...

April 25, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Bloglovin
  • Vimeo

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Eco-Nai+

EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World