World Cup 2026: How will extreme heat impact this summer's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico?

The challenge of the 2026 World Cup will extend beyond tactics, pressure and talent - with extreme and dangerous levels of heat presenting itself as a formidable extra opponent.

Researchers have warned that 14 of the 16 venues throughout the tournament will reach dangerous temperatures, one of which will be England's base in Kansas City.

That dangerous level is 28C, and four of those stadiums could reach an even more dangerous 32C in the hottest afternoon hours of the day.

In the southern parts of the US and northern parts of Mexico, temperatures can rise as high as 40C.

FIFA is currently implementing various strategies to manage the conditions effectively, including delaying kick-off times to when temperatures drop, covered stadiums for additional shade, hydration breaks for players and the use of cooling systems in the stadiums.

However, with only Dallas, Houston and Atlanta stadiums equipped with cooling systems - as well as the heat wave during the 2025 Club World Cup offering a worrying insight into what conditions could be like - fears of the impact heat could have on this tournament continue to grow by the day.