The FIFA Men’s Soccer World Cup will take place in 2026 with a shared stadium scheme between Canada, the United States and Mexico. These countries have set up committees to ensure they have everything they need to welcome millions of visitors from around the world. Scientists are also reviewing the conditions of the World Cup, and they have bad news: 10 of the 16 stadiums present a “very high” risk of extreme heat, and two of them could especially affect the participants.
According to the report, the stadiums that are in the first places of high risk of generating extreme thermal stress are Arlington and Houston, both in the United States; as well as the BBVA of Monterrey, Mexico. The study, based on recent data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service and published in Scientific Reportswarns that FIFA must consider the conditions of the stadiums to optimize the scheduling of match times and modify their cooling and hydration breaks.
Two ways to measure thermal stress
Currently, FIFA uses the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index to determine the combined impact of temperature, humidity, wind speed and radiation on the human body. If the index is very high, the organizing committee implements actions to avoid putting the players at risk. For example, thanks to the WBGT index, it was considered to postpone the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from June to December, right in winter.
However, the study researchers believe that the WBGT index may underestimate the risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions. This index only takes into account the environmental conditions of a site and measures its aggressiveness. Instead, they propose using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and adjusting it to the sporting event. The UTCI is used in climate studies and to assess thermal comfort in urban planning and public health contexts.
“The authors took into account not only the environmental conditions, but also the players’ activity level (metabolic heat), their movement speed (the potential for heat loss through airflow) and the clothing they will wear. ”explained Julien Périard, co-author of the study and deputy director of the Sport and Exercise Research Institute at the University of Canberra, Australia.
Significant sweat loss
The study also considered the flux density of radiation reaching a surface per unit area. It is not usual to consider this magnitude to measure the impact on soccer players because the highest work rate of the UTCI Index is 285 W/m². A professional athlete can endure almost twice as much during a normal competitive match. However, the study predicts that players would experience a sweat loss of at least 1.5 kg/h in the stadiums in Arlington, Houston and Monterrey. This wear could be greater if environmental conditions suddenly become more severe.
Among other recommendations, Julien Périard’s team has suggested that FIFA establish specific breaks to calm thermal stress during matches in different parts of the world, depending on the environment, the players’ clothing and the duration of the match.
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