A report from Queen’s University Belfast warning about the dangers of playing in high temperatures at the World Cup in 2026 is set to be sent to Fifa.
However, one former Northern Ireland footballer who spent time coaching in Orlando said players selected by their countries “will want to be there no matter what the conditions”.
The research carried out by the Belfast university will inform football’s governing body that almost 90% of the host stadiums in the USA, Mexico and Canada could face potentially dangerous levels of heat.
The researchers are urging Fifa to take the safety of players into consideration when it comes to setting kick-off times for games, which are due to take place in June and July next year, when temperatures are likely to be at their highest.
With climate change and extreme heat becoming a growing problem for sport, some governing bodies for football recommend delaying or postponing matches if a metric of heat stress termed “wet-bulb globe temperatures” reaches above 28C.
And while that temperature might seem reasonable, it’s the ‘feels like’ temperature that could become a cause for concern — although players may feel differently, according to Warren Feeney.
Warren Feeney as Glentoran manager (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)
Feeney, who had a successful career in the Irish League with Linfield and had spells with various clubs in England before going on to manage Glentoran, headed to the States in 2024 as head coach in charge of Soccer Universities, a pre-professional coaching and education programme based in the sunshine state of Florida.
“I was based near Orlando, not far from the theme parks, and, yes, it did get hot. But, to be honest, when I had a spell as a coach in Bulgaria, it was even hotter,” he said.
“Clubs there did move some training sessions to the evening, or earlier in the morning.
“But you have to assume Fifa will have factored all that in when it comes to scheduling games.
“As a footballer, you just want to play. And to be able to play at a World Cup is the pinnacle.
“The conditioning of players to be able to perform at that level has improved considerably,” he added.
Leading the research, Dr Donal Mullan from the School of Natural and Built Environment has modelled his findings using 20 years of meteorological data to predict how hot the host stadiums are likely to get if it’s an average summer or a more extreme one.
Of the 16 stadiums to be used for the tournament, his report says, 14 could exceed the potentially dangerous 28C level — and the much hotter ‘feels like’ temperature level — at least some of the time.
His research suggests that up to nine stadiums are in locations which experience dangerous levels of heat at least half the time in a hot summer, with four stadiums likely to reach a more dangerous 32C level of extreme heat.
“A level of 28C might not seem excessive,” said Dr Mullan, “but it’s all the other factors that have to be accounted for.”
These other factors can include the number of people attending games and the lack of air getting into stadiums, all adding to the ‘feels like’ temperature.
Dr Mullan’s research shows that temperatures are likely to be at their peak in the afternoon, when games are usually scheduled. Outside afternoon hours, levels of extreme heat reduce greatly at all host stadiums.
Dr Donal Mullan, Queen’s University Belfast
“Climate change and extreme heat are becoming bigger issues for all areas of our lives, and this includes sport,” he continued.
“After analysing 20 years of data, our modelling shows that high temperatures are extremely likely, and these will have a major impact on players.
“We can see that afternoons are the peak time for higher temperatures, regardless of whether 2026 turns out to be an average or hot summer.
“To protect players and spectators, organisers must rethink the timing of games. The best solution would be rescheduling kick-off times outside the hottest afternoon hours for the locations with highest temperatures, especially those without air conditioning.
“This is primarily Miami and Monterrey, but also Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston and New York.
“We do know that, in a lot of cases, the timing of games can be dictated by television and broadcasting rights, but I’m sure everyone watching will want the players to be able to perform safely and to their peak ability and that those watching in stadiums are comfortable doing so.”
When the World Cup was last staged in the US in 1994, Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton successfully challenged Fifa over its refusal to allow players access to water as temperatures soared on and off the pitch.
Fifa relented and consented to water bags being provided for players in the hotter temperatures.
Technology, coaching and player care have improved immensely in the past 30 years, explained Feeney.
And last time out, in 2022, the whole tournament was moved from its usual summertime slot to December to allow for better playing conditions in its host country Qatar.
Fifa has been contacted for a response.