FIFPro issues urgent heat warning ahead of the 2026 World Cup, citing extreme weather, player workload and safety concerns across North America

FIFPro heat warning has taken centre stage as the global footballers’ union raises serious concerns about player safety at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

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The warning comes in light of rising temperatures and unsustainable match scheduling, with players potentially facing dangerous conditions.

At a media briefing on Monday, Alexander Bielefeld, Director of Policy and Strategic Relations at FIFPro, described the recent Club World Cup in the US as “a wake-up call in the context of a warming planet”.

Many matches in the tournament were played in scorching mid-afternoon heat, with temperatures exceeding 30°C, presenting what FIFPro calls “severe challenges to players’ and participants’ safety and health”.

The union urged organisers to reconsider both the match schedule and venue selections for the 2026 tournament to safeguard player welfare and maintain high-level performance.

“The existing schedule and venue selections may need to be reassessed,” FIFPro stated, also recommending **longer half-time intervals and more frequent cooling breaks.

FIFPro general secretary Alex Phillips acknowledged that informal discussions have been held regarding air-conditioned stadiums, but confirmed that “nothing concrete” has yet emerged.

The report also criticised the **timing of the Club World Cup, claiming it disrupted players’ **off-season rest and pre-season training.

According to FIFPro, many players failed to achieve the minimum 28-day rest period and entered the current campaign without a sufficient four-week pre-season.

New Zealand and Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood emphasised the long-term toll of such scheduling:

“It’s feasible over one or two seasons, but not for five or six,” he said.
“We need the recovery period to go again.”

Beyond heat concerns, the FIFPro heat warning extended to youth player workload. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, for instance, had already clocked over 8,000 minutes before turning 18—far surpassing youth involvement seen in earlier generations.

Darren Burgess, Chair of FIFPro’s high-performance advisory network, warned of injury risks linked to overexposure, noting that footballers’ bodies continue to mature until around 24 to 25 years of age.

Wood added that while young players may feel eager to play, they often ignore the physical toll of early overuse:

“When you’re young, you just want to play football. You don’t think about how your body is changing and growing.”

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With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams and spanning three countries, FIFPro’s heat warning calls for urgent changes to ensure that player health, fan safety, and competition quality remain protected in an increasingly unpredictable climate.