As the World Cup heats up, sport faces a bigger climate question

As the FIFA World Cup unfolds across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the global spotlight is firmly on football.

But another conversation is also building around the tournament: heat.

Reuters has reported that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is putting urban heat risk in the spotlight, with concerns around player and fan safety, match scheduling, shade, cooling measures and the way host cities manage extreme conditions.

It is not just a “hot day at the football” issue. Extreme heat is becoming one of the most practical and immediate climate challenges facing sport. It affects how events are planned, how venues are designed, how participants are protected and how fans experience match day.

For major events, this means thinking carefully about practical measures such as kick-off times, hydration breaks, shaded areas, cooling zones, transport options, venue design and emergency planning.

For community sport, the same conversation matters.

Hotter days affect the kids running around on ovals, the volunteers setting up early, the officials standing out in the sun, the parents and carers on the sidelines, older participants, and clubs trying to manage facilities with limited budgets.

This is where sustainability becomes very real.

Climate action in sport is not only about reducing emissions, although that remains essential. It is also about adaptation - making sure sport can continue safely, fairly and enjoyably as the climate changes.

The World Cup is a global event, but the questions it raises are relevant at every level of sport.

• How do we protect players, fans, workers and volunteers?

• How do we design venues and precincts that are more resilient?

• How do we make shade, cooling, water access and emergency planning part of everyday sport infrastructure.

• And how do we ensure that climate risk is considered before the heat arrives, rather than once people are already feeling its impact?

For Sports Environment Alliance, this is a conversation worth having.

Not to take away from the excitement of the World Cup, but to recognise that the way major events are planned, delivered and remembered really matters. As climate conditions continue to change, sport has an opportunity, and a responsibility to plan differently.

Because protecting the future of sport also means protecting the people and places that make it possible.