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The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens Thursday into one of the summer’s first major heat waves.
The National Weather Service warned Tuesday that “early season heat can often be more dangerous and pose a greater risk for heat-related illness,” calling it “the most significant heat so far this summer for many locations.” The heat wave is expected to sweep across the Midwest Wednesday before shifting into the south and east on Thursday and through the weekend.
AccuWeather forecasts a hot summer across most of the U.S., with the number of 90-degree days expected to be near or above average in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia—three of the tournament’s host cities.
Temperatures for Saturday’s matchup between Morocco and Brazil at MetLife Stadium are forecast to climb into the high 80s. The open-air stadium is one of five World Cup venues without a full roof, and a World Weather Attribution analysis flagged it among the tournament’s most heat-exposed venues alongside Miami, Kansas City, and Philadelphia. The study found 26 games are expected to be played under conditions where the players’ union recommends mandatory cooling breaks and five under conditions it considers unsafe for play.
FIFA’s threshold for mandating cooling breaks or postponing matches sits at 89.6°F, well above the 82.4°F level where the international players’ union recommends action.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was moved from June to November and December to avoid the summer heat, air-conditioned stadiums kept temperatures at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit well below any serious conditions.
Last week, FIFA announced a ban on all water bottles at matches, then reversed course a day later following backlash. The updated policy allows each fan to bring one soft, plastic, 20-ounce factory-sealed disposable bottle into stadiums. Reusable and hard-sided bottles remain prohibited, FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi said in a post on X, which “could pose a safety and security risk.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the original ban “concerning,” telling The Athletic that spectators would be subjected to heat “for arguably a longer period of time, as they will be there before the game starts and after the game finishes.” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow even called it “a pure money grab,” so fans would be forced to buy water from stadium concessions.
FIFA has implemented mandatory three-minute hydration breaks during every game at the 22-minute mark of each half, a direct response to complaints from players during last year’s Club World Cup, when Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior left a match in Miami and Borussia Dortmund’s bench players watched their own match against the Mamelodi Sundowns from the locker room in Cincinnati due to the heat.
Saturday’s MetLife game kicks off at 6 p.m. local time, later than many Club World Cup games, which were scheduled during the day to accommodate European audiences.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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