INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 02: General view inside the stadium as the pitch is watered during the Powerade Hydration break during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Spain and Austria at Los Angeles Stadium on July 02, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
On Saturday, the FIFA World Cup staged a round of 16 match in early July in Philadelphia, where temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit and heat indexes ticked even higher. Kickoff was set for 5 p.m. Eastern Time, the hour projected to have the highest heat index of the entire day.
Fifteen days later, they will host the final in East Rutherford, N.J. at 3 p.m. Eastern, two days shy of what is, on average, the New York City suburb’s highest average temperature of the year.
It’s understandable that FIFA wants to put it’s biggest games in primetime European TV windows. But doing so in outdoor stadiums, in a nation that has so many elite indoor venues capable of hosting matches, is downright reckless.
Of the 16 venues being used, only four are truly climate controlled. (The Los Angeles Stadium is covered but uses engineering and natural climate features to control temperature). There are at least a half dozen others that could’ve been included to allow matches in the hottest average markets remain night-time only affairs.
On Saturday, the FIFA World Cup staged a round of 16 match in early July in Philadelphia, where temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit and heat indexes ticked even higher. Kickoff was set for 5 p.m. Eastern Time, the hour projected to have the highest heat index of the entire day.
Fifteen days later, they will host the final in East Rutherford, N.J. at 3 p.m. Eastern, two days shy of what is, on average, the New York City suburb’s highest average temperature of the year.
It’s understandable that FIFA wants to put it’s biggest games in primetime European TV windows. But doing so in outdoor stadiums, in a nation that has so many elite indoor venues capable of hosting matches, is downright reckless.
Of the 16 venues being used, only four are truly climate controlled. (The Los Angeles Stadium is covered but uses engineering and natural climate features to control temperature). There are at least a half dozen others that could’ve been included to allow matches in the hottest average markets remain night-time only affairs.
25 days ago
