← Back to News
How will the weather affect the opening games of the World Cup?
WC 2026
B
BBC Sport·about 13 hours ago

How will the weather affect the opening games of the World Cup?

Image caption, England's warm-up match in Florida was delayed by an hour on Wednesday night after a storm hit

Image source, Getty Image caption, England's warm-up match in Florida was delayed by an hour on Wednesday night after a storm hit

Storms causing delays to some of the warm-up matches this week have already shown how extreme weather will affect this World Cup.

And with more storms forecast, some of the opening games are likely to be affected with the biggest risk to play coming by Monday.

Scotland start their campaign in a pleasantly warm and dry Boston on Saturday night (Sunday morning UK time).

Then for England, the Texas heat may be uncomfortable for fans leading up to their first match against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.

For Thursday's opening match in Mexico City, it is likely it will be the altitude not the weather that players and fans will notice.

How could extreme weather affect World Cup 2026?

Published 10 May Is England v Costa Rica delay a sign of things to come?

Published 11 hours ago Opening match in Mexico The World Cup officially kicks off on Thursday afternoon (20:00 BST) in Mexico City.

South Africa will be taking on one of the hosts Mexico.

While the weather forecast shows showers, these shouldn't be particularly heavy. Temperatures will be around average of 23C (73F).

Mexico City is however the highest World Cup host city, at around 2,200 metres above sea level.

At this altitude the air is thinner and means that there is around 25% less effective oxygen per breath and therefore will have an impact on the players.

Thinner air also means that the football will travel faster and further, have less curve and behave more unpredictably.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia take on Uruguay at 18:00 ET in Miami where the temperature will be around 30C (86F). With high humidity forecast, it will feel more like 40C (104F).

According to the heat index used by Fifa and other sporting organisations to measure how temperature affects the health and body of a person - called the Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) - a value of above 28C (82F) is widely considered the threshold at which heat stress becomes a significant concern for elite athletes.

On Monday, the WBGT is forecast to be around 30C in Miami. This represents a high-risk or extreme environment at a level that Fifpro considers to be unsafe for play.

Storms are also in the forecast. If they were to develop within eight miles of the stadium, the match would need to be suspended for at least 30 minutes.

This allows players, officials and fans to seek shelter and stay safe from threat of being struck by lightning.

Play can resume 30 minutes after the last lightning strike in the area.

Image caption, While the Dallas stadium hosting England v Croatia has air conditioning with a roof, it will be a hot day and build up for fans.

Image source, Getty Image caption, While the Dallas stadium hosting England v Croatia has air conditioning with a roof, it will be a hot day and build up for fans.

Texas is one of the hottest states in the US and England fans waiting for their team's first match to begin will be experiencing typical hot weather on Wednesday afternoon.

Temperatures into the low thirties are expected and while it should be dry and sunny, there is a chance cloud cover could increase with a few showers.

While no thunderstorms are currently forecast, the cloud cover and increased atmospheric moisture will raise the humidity.

The 'feels like' temperature is therefore expected to approach 40C.

However, the Dallas stadium is one of the World Cup stadiums with a retractable roof and air-conditioning.

This will make it much more comfortable - and safer - for players and fans when inside the stadium during the game.

Scotland's first game is against Haiti, taking place in Boston on Saturday evening local time - 02:00 BST on Sunday.

While it will feel pretty warm with a temperature of around 25C (77F), this is typical for the time of year, and similar to a warm summer day in the UK.

To see the latest weather for these and all other World Cup locations, check the searchable forecast here or use the BBC Weather app.

How thunderstorms and lightning could impact games at World Cup

Sources: BBC Sport

Related Articles

Top 100 Players In The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ranked
Players

Top 100 Players In The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ranked

The best players in the world will be on display this summer at the 2026 World Cup . So, let’s rank them.

F
Fox Sports·about 1 month ago
Don’t have time to watch 72 World Cup group games? Here are 10 not to miss
Teams

Don’t have time to watch 72 World Cup group games? Here are 10 not to miss

Watching 108 hours of football is not for everyone but there are some crackers in the group stage, including Scotland v Brazil, Netherlands v Japan and France v Senegal By Opta Analyst The days of watching every game at the World Cup are long gone fo

T
The Guardian·about 13 hours ago
Germany players will pay for 600 fans to travel to game
Players

Germany players will pay for 600 fans to travel to game

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Germany will be aiming to win the World Cup for a fifth time as this summer's tournament

B
BBC Sport·about 13 hours ago
World Cup 2026: countdown to opener, Tuchel savours England win, Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ – live
Players

World Cup 2026: countdown to opener, Tuchel savours England win, Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ – live

⚽️ Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ in response to Fifa’s critics ⚽️ Match centre | Player guide | Bracketology | Mail Tom Wolves have their sights on the Gil Vicente manager, César Peixoto, after sacking Rob Edwards. Here’s the story: There were more

T
The Guardian·about 13 hours ago
The Welsh doctor who sang Back Home on Top of the Pops with the England team
Teams

The Welsh doctor who sang Back Home on Top of the Pops with the England team

Share Save Add as preferred on Google James McClair West Midlands BBC Annie Onions said her dad, Dr Neil Phillips, was "so proud" to be England team doctor Kicking off their World Cup campaign against Croatia, England are hoping to become world champ

B
BBC Sport·about 13 hours ago
FIFA World Cup 2026 Fantasy: Nine forwards to consider
WC 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 Fantasy: Nine forwards to consider

Whether investing heavily in proven superstars or searching for hidden gems capable of delivering a return on a modest budget, selecting the right forwards could prove decisive for managers in .

F
FIFA Official·about 13 hours ago