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The World Cup just had one of its hottest matches, in a challenge for the sport

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The World Cup is experiencing extreme heat, with some matches played in temperatures around 38C and "feels-like" temperatures reaching 43C.
  • Climate change is identified as the primary driver of this exceptional heat, making high temperatures significantly more likely.
  • Organizers have implemented heat protocols, including hydration breaks, but concerns remain about player safety and potential postponements.

The World Cup is facing an unprecedented challenge from extreme heat, with athletes and players battling scorching conditions. North America is currently gripped by a record-breaking heatwave, impacting the tournament's crucial matches.

Especially for these outdoor stadiums, [you have] a restriction of airflow … so when you're on the pitch, you're not really getting the natural wind … you've got the direct sun beating down on the pitch.

— Shel WinkleyClimate Central meteorologist explaining the microclimate conditions within stadiums.

One semifinal match is expected to see "feels-like" temperatures hit 43 degrees Celsius in Miami. This follows a recent game between France and Paraguay in Philadelphia, described as one of the hottest in the tournament's history, with temperatures hovering around 38C. Nine group stage games met thresholds for delay or postponement due to the heat.

You're essentially making this little microclimate inside of what is a bigger dome of heat that we experienced over Philadelphia.

— Shel WinkleyClimate Central meteorologist describing the stadium's contribution to the heat.

Climate change, driven by human activities, is the main culprit behind these exceptional temperatures. Meteorologists note that the likelihood of experiencing performance-impairing heat, defined as above 28C, has increased significantly due to carbon emissions. Temperatures like those seen in Philadelphia have been made three to four times more likely because of climate change.

We knew that going into this match, there was an over 60 per cent chance that [the athletes] would experience some sort of performance-impairing heat, which is a temperature of above [28C].

— Shel WinkleyClimate Central meteorologist on the likelihood of heat impacting athletes.

Organizers are aware of the heat conundrum and have introduced measures such as mandatory hydration breaks and adjusted scheduling to avoid the worst of the midday sun. However, the extreme conditions raise concerns about player safety and the integrity of the sport, with discussions about potential postponements even arising.

We know that with the carbon emissions we've put into the atmosphere, that those percentage points were raised by about 17 per cent.

— Shel WinkleyClimate Central meteorologist on the impact of carbon emissions on heat probability.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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