Players union and experts warn about heat in Miami for World Cup

Driving the news: FIFA says it has completed heat risk analyses at each host stadium, and will impose mandatory water breaks for all World Cup matches and limit daytime matches for outdoor stadiums.

• The soccer body announced the changes following criticism over its heat safety measures at the 2025 Club World Cup.
• Matches at Hard Rock will start no earlier than 5pm.
• Players union FIFPRO supports these measures but says FIFA should lower the threshold needed to delay or postpone a match due to extreme heat.

Friction point: Currently, FIFA policy only allows for postponement or cancellation at about 90 degrees of wet-bulb globe temperature, a measure of heat stress used by sports leagues and workplace safety regulators.

• FIFPRO has recommended a WBGT threshold of 82 degrees.
• For comparison, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says WBGT above 77 degrees presents a "high risk of heat-related illness" for strenuous work for an unacclimatized person.
• FIFPRO estimates that Miami may experience a WBGT of 91.4 degrees during the July 11 quarterfinal match and the July 18 third-place match, based on historical weather data for the area.

What they're saying: Two extreme heat researchers told Axios that FIFA should lower the minimum temperature needed to delay a match.

• Daniel Vecellio, a University of Nebraska at Omaha assistant professor in geography and geology, says evening matches will limit sun exposure but high humidity will still impact players' ability to cool down.
• "Later start times make me feel better than kickoffs that would start during the middle of the day, but precautions will still need to be taken to ensure player health and safety," he told Axios in an email.

Donal Mullan, a senior lecturer in physical geography at Queen's University Belfast, said South Florida's tropical climate means "extreme heat persists in Miami right throughout the day."

• He said a recent study he co-authored suggests it's normal for Miami's WBGT temperatures to hover around 79 degrees as late as 8pm.
• Some teams playing in Miami, like Scotland, will be less accustomed to these conditions, "and therefore there is an elevated risk of extreme heat for player welfare," he wrote in an email.

Flashback: The last World Cup was played during the winter of 2022 due to heat concerns in the host country, Qatar.

Fan and worker safety

FIFA says fans may bring one sealed water bottle to the matches when "forecasts indicate elevated temperatures."

• That would also trigger stadiums to "activate additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses and expanded water distribution," a spokesperson tells Axios.
• The free World Cup fan festival at Bayfront Park will also have areas for shade, cooling and hydration, the local host committee has said.
• For stadium staff, FIFA is implementing work-rest cycles and first aid resources with escalation pathways for suspected heat illness.

Between the lines: Fans can't rely on world-class athleticism to prevent heat illness, Vecellio says.

• Unlike players, they will be in tightly packed bleachers instead of open fields. The risk is higher for those used to cooler climates back home.
• He says fans should wear light clothing, stay hydrated and limit alcohol consumption.

What's next: FIFA says a heat illness task force is finalizing guidance for heat risk alert systems, stadium action plans and public messaging.

• "FIFA will continue to monitor conditions in real time ... and stands ready to apply established contingency protocols should extreme weather events occur."