"‘It’s going to be extremely hot’: workers imperiled as sweltering World Cup temperatures are forecast", 14 June 2026

...As the World Cup kicks off, labor advocates and scholars warn that the workers making the tournament possible could face serious heat-related risks...

The Fifa tournament is being played across 16 host cities, including 11 in the US. That includes southern cities such as Miami, Houston, Dallas and Atlanta, where temperatures during games could top 85F or even 90F (29.4C to 92.2C)...

Workers at previous World Cups have suffered and even died in sweltering heat, and experts warn this year’s tournament could be the hottest ever...

Fifa does not directly control employment conditions, which are governed by host countries, local organizers, stadium authorities and contractors. But it can promote safety through host-city agreements, venue-operating requirements and contractor standards, said Margaret Morrissey-Basler, a senior adviser of occupational safety at the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute who co-authored the recent study...

In an emailed statement, Fifa said it was “committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff”...

Fifa will also implement work-rest schedules, station trained medical personnel at every match, monitor weather conditions in real time and rely on a taskforce of heat experts, the spokesperson added. In a second emailed comment, a spokesperson said the organization consulted with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations in crafting its protocols, adding: “This collaboration included site visits covering worker welfare, wellbeing and heat-risk management measures”...