Overview

• FIFPRO plans to test 20-minute half-time breaks and 15-minute cooling pauses under extreme heat conditions in collaboration with Portugal’s players’ union this summer.
• The global union urges FIFA and the International Football Association Board to enshrine these extended rest protocols and a 28°C WBGT threshold into official competition laws before the 2026 World Cup.
• In response to soaring temperatures at the Club World Cup, FIFA lowered its own requirement for mandatory cooling breaks and increased on-pitch hydration provisions but has not yet ratified permanent rule changes.
• FIFPRO’s heat-risk assessment identifies six of the 16 North American 2026 World Cup host cities as “extremely high risk” for player heat-stress injuries based on its WBGT guidelines.
• With forecasts of even greater heat challenges at the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, FIFPRO warns that proactive scheduling reforms and in-game cooling measures are critical to safeguard athlete welfare.