How climate change shaped the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup saw nearly half of its matches played on days with a climate change signal for temperature or dangerous humid heat. Over 55% of matches occurred in cities where daily highs exceeded the 82.4°F (28°C) athletic performance threshold, with 35 of those in non-climate-controlled stadiums. Miami Stadium was the hottest non-climate-controlled venue, with an average daily high of 93.4°F (34.1°C) and dangerous humid heat on almost every match day. The hottest single game was Paraguay vs. France in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, reaching 101°F (38.3°C). France was the most heat-exposed team, playing seven of eight matches in non-climate-controlled stadiums, while the champion, Spain, faced lower heat exposure due to more games in climate-controlled venues.

• Nearly half of all tournament matches took place on days where the host city showed a climate change signal via the Climate Shift Index (CSI) for temperature or dangerous humid heat.
• A majority of matches (55.8%) were played in cities with daily highs exceeding 82.4°F (28°C), the point where heat can impact athletic performance; 35 of these occurred in stadiums without climate control.
• Miami Stadium was the hottest non-climate-controlled venue, with an average daily high of 93.4°F (34.1°C) and an average kickoff temperature of 86.9°F (30.5°C). Every match day there had a CSI signal of 2 or higher and dangerous humid heat, almost all of which was attributable to climate change.
• The hottest match of the tournament occurred in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, between Paraguay and France, with a high of 101°F (38.3°C) and a kickoff temperature of 100°F (37.7°C), both influenced by climate change.
• France was the most heat-exposed team, playing seven of eight matches in non-climate-controlled stadiums, with four of those outdoor matches occurring on days with a climate change signal.
• Spain, the tournament champion, experienced significantly less heat exposure than France, with only one match in an open-air stadium on a day with climate-change-intensified temperatures (Spain vs. Uruguay on June 26, 2026).

APA

Climate Central (2026). How climate change shaped the 2026 World Cup. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/world-cup-and-climate-change

Chicago

Climate Central. How climate change shaped the 2026 World Cup. 2026. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/world-cup-and-climate-change.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=How climate change shaped the 2026 World Cup |date=27 July 2026 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/world-cup-and-climate-change |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2026how, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{How climate change shaped the 2026 World Cup}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2026}, month = jul, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/world-cup-and-climate-change}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }