Overview

• FIFPRO’s wet bulb globe temperature assessments categorize six of 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup as posing an extreme risk of heat-stress injury.
• The union proposes extending halftime intervals from 15 to 20 minutes and introducing three-minute cooling breaks every 15 minutes to help lower players’ core temperatures.
• During the Club World Cup, FIFA lowered its cooling break WBGT threshold and provided additional water and towels, but it did not adopt proposed timing changes or longer halftimes.
• FIFPRO is pressing FIFA to move afternoon matches to evening kickoffs in high-risk venues to mitigate peak heat exposure.
• In August, FIFPRO will test its extended halftime and frequent cooling break protocols with the Portuguese players’ union as a proof of concept for 2026 reforms.