Venues set to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches are at risk of extreme conditions caused by heat, storms and drought, according to a new report called Pitches in Peril, published by Football for Future and Common Goal.

A recent report from the global soccer organization Common Goal, titled 'Pitches in Peril,' warns that extreme heat, storms, and drought are threatening many of the stadiums set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. The study finds that 14 out of 16 venues could face unsafe playing conditions, which may affect both player safety and the overall quality of the tournament.

The report also notes that more than 90% of football fans in the United States, Canada, and Mexico want the sport to take a stronger stance on sustainability. Players and experts highlight that extreme weather can impact performance, recovery, and the entertainment value for fans, as athletes may struggle to maintain high levels of play in challenging conditions.

Heat, extreme weather threaten 2026 FIFA World Cup venues, study finds

The soccer fans are getting excited about next year's FIFA World Cup, but they have been facing plenty of long waits after those ticket lotteries opened up this weekend. You can see here the different host cities throughout North America. A new report, though, called Pitches in Peril from the global soccer organization Common Goal warns that extreme heat, storms and drought are already putting many of those stadiums at risk. It's also raising questions about player safety and the future of the sport. Joining us from London is Alexey Rojas. He is goalkeeper for Arsenal and Columbia's Under-20 club. Very good to see you, Alexey. Thank you so much for being with us here. So this study is a really interesting one. It talks about how several stadiums, including many here in the United States, could be impacted by extreme heat and also potentially breach player safety protocols during next year's tournament. So give us a sense of how many venues we're talking about here and how much worse this problem could get. Well, in reality, it's quite a big scale of venues that are going to be facing this. And as the recent Pitches in Peril report shows, 14 of the 16 World Cup stadiums are going to face unsafe playing conditions. And the effects of it aren't only just on the players who were having to play in extreme heat where hydration plays a fact, there can also be increased cramping mental health risks. But it's also how it's going to affect the fans. The fact that if it's extremely hot, players aren't going to be able to sustain the same level of performance throughout the whole 90 minutes or even 120 minutes if it goes on to extra time. So the level of entertainment for fans is not going to be as high because as fans, you want to be able to go and watch high level football and sustain it. And as the report shows, more than 90% of football fans in the States, in Canada and Mexico, want football to take a real lead on sustainability. And talking to you as an athlete yourself, you've played and trained in different parts of the world. How has extreme heat or other kinds of weather disruptions affected your own performance? It's massive because I've played in some climates which have extreme heat, extreme humidity and all the way on the other scale where it's snow, cold and waterlogged pitches. For example, here in England, so many games throughout grassroots football, but also professional football get cancelled because the pitches are just unplayable because of the extreme amount of rain, frozen pitches. And then at the same time, games in South America, we were just away in Singapore and Hong Kong on preseason tour with Arsenal, where it's literally like playing in a sauna. You step out on the stadium and you're just standing there and you're sweating and sweating and sweating. And that won't be sustainable for a World Cup where you're having to play every two days and you're having to perform at a high level. So the effects are massive, not only cognitively, but also physically and on our level of performance and recovery. Well, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today about this important topic. Alexei Rojas, thank you so much for making the time for us. My pleasure.

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