Concerns about high temperatures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America are growing, and FIFA has released the full group stage schedule, where heat is likely to be a critical factor at the start of some matches. The full tournament schedule in Canada, Mexico, and the USA was released after the draw, allowing teams to assess not only travel logistics but also climatic conditions. This was reported by UNN.
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As global media note, even in northern cities such as Toronto, high temperatures are expected in summer, forcing coaches to emphasize the need for player acclimatization.
Heat was the reason for postponing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Although some American stadiums (in Arlington, Houston, and Atlanta) at the 2026 World Cup have retractable roofs, which will mitigate the problem, risks remain at other venues.
In particular, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles), with five daytime matches, may face a sharp increase in temperature, despite having a roof, due to the penetration of outside air.
Group stage matches with the highest expected temperature
According to Accuweather's 30-year average "RealFeel" temperatures, FIFA has identified a number of matches where the greatest heat is expected at the start of the game. The leaders of the list are:
- 31.1 °C: Switzerland vs. European Championship Play-off Winner A, to be held on June 18 at 12:00 PM in Inglewood, California.
- 30.6 °C: Belgium vs. Iran (June 21 at 12:00 PM in Inglewood) and Curaçao vs. Côte d'Ivoire (June 25 at 4:00 PM in Philadelphia).
- 30 °C: Tunisia vs. Netherlands (June 25 at 6:00 PM in Kansas City, Missouri).
High temperatures (29.4 °C) are also predicted for the matches Scotland vs. Brazil (Miami Gardens), Ecuador vs. Germany (East Rutherford), and Norway vs. France (Foxborough).
In Mexican stadiums, the risk of heat and altitude is also a factor, but almost all matches here will take place at night.
Convenient logistics: teams that will not travel
Some teams will play consecutive group stage matches in the same location, which will significantly reduce the burden of travel. These include: South Korea (first two matches in Guadalajara), Canada (second and third matches in Vancouver), Scotland (first two matches in Foxborough), Uruguay (first two matches in Miami Gardens), Senegal (first two matches in East Rutherford), Argentina (second and third matches in Arlington), and Iran (first two matches in Inglewood).
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