A shocking new report examining the impacts of rising global temperatures and severe weather events on international soccer found that current conditions pose a threat to the sport at all levels, from grassroots amateur play to the prestigious World Cup tournament.
The report called into question whether the World Cup, one of the world’s premier sporting events, will be able to continue its traditional summer scheduling.
“As someone from Spain, I can’t ignore the climate crisis,” said Juan Mata, a professional soccer player, according to the Guardian. “Football has always brought people together, but now it’s a reminder of what we stand to lose.”
What’s happening?
Produced by a joint effort between Common Goal and Football For Future, two soccer-oriented nonprofit groups, the Pitches in Peril report highlighted the negative impacts that the overheating planet already is having on the world’s most popular sport.
“This study makes one thing clear: football is under threat,” the authors warned. “Extreme heat, flooding, drought, and wildfire are already reducing pitch playability at both elite and grassroots levels. Fewer safe training days. Greater health risks. Declining youth participation. These are not future risks – they are unfolding now.”
Among the report’s most headline-grabbing findings were revelations about the suitability of World Cup host sites, including for the fast-approaching 2026 World Cup and subsequent tournaments slated for 2030 and 2034.
“14 of 16 World Cup stadiums in 2025 already exceed safe-play thresholds for at least three major climate hazards – including extreme heat, unplayable rainfall, and flooding,” the report said. “Risks intensify at every venue by 2050.”
These changes could mean the end of the World Cup as the estimated 3.5 billion soccer fans around the globe have always known it.
“This could be the last World Cup of its kind in this region,” the report said, referring to the 2026 World Cup, currently scheduled to take place at 16 sites across North America. “Without significant adaptation, it is unlikely that future tournaments in North America will follow the same model as 2026 – with traditional summer scheduling, current infrastructure standards, and minimal climate protocols.”
“By the time the tournament returns to the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, climate risks may demand a very different approach to when, where, and how matches are played,” the authors continued.
Why does the impact of rising temperatures on soccer matter?
While the scheduling of a soccer tournament might seem insignificant in comparison to the potentially civilization-altering effects of rising global temperatures, the World Cup serves as a poignant and widely relatable symbol of the impacts that the changing climate is having on all manner of human activities.
For decades, experts have warned that releasing large quantities of heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere would cause global temperatures to rise significantly, increasing the severity of extreme weather events, including heat waves and storms.
As the authors of the Pitches in Peril report emphasized, these impacts are no longer hypothetical. They are happening now.
What’s being done about it?
Despite their dire warnings, the report’s authors emphasized that the 2026 World Cup also presented an opportunity to expand awareness about the perils of rising global temperatures.
“Football has an opportunity to lead,” they wrote. “The 2026 World Cup offers a once-in-a-generation stage to elevate climate truth, spotlight resilience, and catalyze action. Governing bodies, clubs, and sponsors must now integrate adaptation into operations and respond to the shifting expectations of fans and players.”
Promisingly, fans support soccer taking a leadership role on climate action by huge margins. Of 3,600 fans surveyed across North America, 86% were in favor of clubs and governing bodies speaking out on climate issues, and 91% said they would feel proud if their club took visible climate action, the report found.
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