FIFA president Gianni Infantino addresses 2026 World Cup weather concerns

The intense heat during the Club World Cup has affected the players.

Following concerns over players being forced to endure intense heat at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that venues with roofs will be utilised to allay worries about harsh weather at the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain will play Chelsea in the Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey tonight. The temperature is expected to be 84 degrees Fahrenheit (28.8 degrees Celsius) at the start of the game.

The temperature reached 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5 degrees Celsius) at kickoff of Tuesday’s Chelsea vs. Fluminense semifinal at MetLife.

According to the global players’ organisation FIFPRO, three of the tournament’s games should have been called off, suspended or postponed because of the extreme heat.

However, Gianni Infantino stated that most 2026 World Cup games will now be held in covered stadiums—venues in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver have roofs and air conditioning—to combat daytime temperatures and climate problems, as thunderstorms also cause certain matches to be postponed for extended periods of time.

Enzo Fernández, a Chelsea midfielder, has called on FIFA to review the World Cup schedule for next year, claiming that the heat left him “dizzy” and was “very dangerous.”

“Every criticism we receive is a source for us to study and analyse what can do better,” Infantino told reporters at a media conference in New York.”

“Of course the heat is an issue. Last year, at the Olympic Games in Paris, games during the day, in all sports, took place in very hot conditions.”

“Cooling breaks are very important and we will see what we can do, but we have stadiums with roofs and we will definitely use these stadiums during the day next year.”

Players and managers have criticised FIFA and Infantino for their choice to hold a summer Club World Cup with 32 teams.

The president of FIFA, however, defended the competition, claiming that some European teams that didn’t make it wanted to be invited.

Infantino says the 2025 Club World Cup was a success

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, feels that the Club World Cup is “already the most profitable club event in the world” in spite of “some negatives” about the competition.

Infantino, who has been in charge of the world football governing body since 2016, asserts that the competition has made over $2 billion (£1.5 billion), or “$33 million (£24 million) per match.”

He added that “the golden era of global club football has started” and that the tournament has been a “huge success” as a result.

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