Also In Play: Heat Stress Beyond the Pitch
June 26, 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is predicted to be the hottest in history. Heat advisories have already been issued in several host cities, while approximately one quarter of matches are expected to be played at Wet-Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT) of 26°C or above. Yet while concerns about extreme heat have centered on players, fans, and match disruptions, far less attention has been paid to the thousands of workers who make the tournament possible.
WBGT, the global measure of heat stress, combines temperature, humidity, sun exposure, and wind. Readings above 28°C are widely considered dangerous, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Six of the first 24 matches this year were played in locations where WBGT reached or exceeded this threshold, including matches in Miami and Monterrey. Some high-risk host cities, including Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta have air-conditioned stadiums with roofs, which can reduce heat exposure inside the venue. But FIFA’s heat protocols stop at the goal line.
The thousands of stadium workers, security guards, concession staff, and volunteers who keep the tournament running face the same dangerous conditions players do—and in many cases have far weaker protections. FIFA works through a chain of local contractors and sub-contractors, which means it has no direct employment relationship with most stadium workers. But through host-city agreements, venue-operating requirements, and contractor standards, it has significant contractual leverage over the conditions those workers face—leverage it does not use.
FIFA does take steps for players and staff, monitoring WBGT levels, introducing mandatory three-minute hydration breaks for players and match officials, moving some kick-off times later in the day, and relying heavily on air-conditioned stadiums in several host cities. According to FIFA’s emergency care manual, if the WBGT reading is near, at, or above 32°C, host-city organizing committees should agree on precautions to prevent heat-related illness. But these are blanket measures that ignore actual stadium conditions, and FIFA reserves its strongest responses for temperatures well above what many experts consider safe. Leading scientists have warned that these measures are inadequate, calling on FIFA to postpone matches above 28°C WBGT, introduce longer cooling breaks, and strengthen heat-protection measures.
Much of the public debate has centred on whether hydration breaks disrupt the flow of matches or create additional advertising opportunities. But that debate ignores the thousands of stadium and fan-zone workers exposed to the same conditions.
According to a recent study, stadium workers, cleaners, concession staff, transport workers, volunteers, and emergency responders may face equal or greater heat exposure than players. Many begin work hours before kick-off, often during the hottest part of the day, and remain on site long after matches end. Temporary contract workers, who fill roles such as food stall vendors and security guards, may be particularly vulnerable, as they are less likely to be acclimatized to local conditions or to raise concerns about unsafe working environments.
Many of these workers lack even the most basic protections against extreme heat. Jordan Barab, a former deputy assistant secretary at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has noted that relatively simple measures—including access to water, shade, and rest breaks—can significantly reduce the risk of heat-related illness; yet too many local employers still fail to implement them, leaving workers vulnerable to preventable harm.
Moreover, the United States enters the World Cup without a federal occupational heat standard, unlike co-host Mexico, which has a national occupational heat standard that requires employers to assess heat risks and implement work-rest cycles for workers exposed to dangerous temperatures. While OSHA recently renewed its National Emphasis Program targeting workplace heat hazards, the program primarily focuses on inspections of high-risk industries, but it does not establish nationwide requirements for protections such as water, shade, rest breaks, or heat-acclimatization measures. At the same time, OSHA’s ability to protect workers has been weakened under the Trump administration through declining inspection activity, staffing shortages, and broader reductions in enforcement capacity that limit the agency’s ability to monitor workplaces and hold employers accountable.
The gaps in protection extend to the state level. Only seven states have enforceable occupational heat standards, and just two of them—California and Washington—are hosting World Cup matches. Florida and Texas, meanwhile, have enacted state laws that explicitly prohibit municipalities from introducing stronger local heat protections for workers.
Heat was one of the defining human rights issues of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where migrant workers building tournament infrastructure suffered and died in extreme temperatures. That experience should have served as a warning. Instead, the 2026 tournament risks repeating a familiar pattern: recognizing heat as a threat to elite athletes while overlooking the workers exposed to the same hazards.
Red-heat warnings swept Europe this week, signaling the highest-tier emergency weather alerts, indicating “danger to life” and widespread disruption—even for healthy people, not just the vulnerable. Temperatures approaching 40°C (104°F) in some regions and France recording its hottest day on record are a sign of what is coming. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup. As extreme heat becomes an increasingly unavoidable feature of global sport, and climate havens become fewer, FIFA must look beyond hydration breaks and rethink how it protects everyone involved in its tournaments—not just those on the pitch.
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