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4d ago

FIFA Lines Up Four Retractable-Roof Stadiums for 2026 Daytime Games as Heat Threat Looms

Only about 30 percent of matches will be under cover, with experts warning that most host cities face unsafe daytime temperatures without deeper adaptations.

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Overview

  • FIFA will use four retractable-roof stadiums—Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, NRG Stadium in Houston and BC Place in Vancouver—for daytime matches at the 2026 World Cup.
  • Only 31 of the tournament’s 104 games are scheduled under cover, leaving the majority of host cities vulnerable to peak summer heat.
  • FIFA has implemented cooling breaks and extra pitch watering after the Club World Cup trial and established field offices in Miami and New York to streamline operations.
  • Experts at Brunel University caution that 14 of 16 host cities are likely to exceed safe WBGT thresholds without additional scheduling and infrastructure adaptations.
  • The global players’ union FIFPRO is pressing FIFA to lower the WBGT threshold for mandatory cooling breaks and formalize postponement limits to safeguard athlete health.