A glacier melting into the Arctic sea might not seem to have any relation to the 2026 World Cup final, but consider this: Those rising seas and warming waters are the reason that next summer’s World Cup final might kick off at 9 a.m.
• Or be played in four quarters.
• Or be stopped every 15 minutes for water breaks.
• Or be held indoors.
These are just a few of the ideas being floated — some more seriously than others — for the tournament in the wake of scorching heat and torrential rains that have plagued this summer’s Club World Cup across the U.S., but minor tweaks won’t be enough. Climate change is here to stay in North America, Europe, Asia and the other continents and the wildfires, storms, heat waves, floods, droughts, food shortages and natural disasters that consistently pummel the earth will increasingly impact major outdoor sports events.
One year ago, the United Nations released a climate change report that warned there are just 10 years to dramatically change policies around the world to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. The world is now in “climate crunch time,” the U.N. warned, as greenhouse gases — which trap heat in the atmosphere that warms global temperatures and fuel more extreme weather events — have hit “unprecedented levels.”
“We’re teetering on a planetary tight rope,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. “Either (global) leaders bridge the emissions gap, or we plunge headlong into climate disaster.”
China and the United States are the world’s two biggest producers of greenhouse gases, although the U.S.’s per capita emissions is higher.
The first three weeks of the Club World Club dealt with thunderstorms that delayed several group stage matches and blistering heat and humidity so severe that reserves were kept indoors so as to remain fresh. Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C. all topped 100 degrees and lightning strikes in Charlotte were so insistent that a severe weather warning was issued and the match between Chelsea and Benfica was suspended for more than two hours.
“This tournament is probably a really good wake-up call for everyone to look at the scheduling of matches in future tournaments,” said Alexander Bielefeld, the director of policy and strategic relations for Fifapro, the global soccer players union.
And it’s not just the Club World Cup that is suffering. The Gold Cup that was held in parallel has faced extreme weather and 100-degree temperatures in St. Louis, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Arlington, Texas, while droughts and high temperatures kicked off a wildfire season in California that experts believe could be the worst ever.
In Europe, heat waves and electrical storms put the Wimbledon tennis tournament on notice, as 90-degree days forced players to take cover indoors during shade breaks, and Tour de France organizers are debating whether to water down roads ahead of this month’s race so the course does not melt away under the cyclists’ tires.
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