Players' union wants matches postponed in extreme heat

FIFPRO, already concerned at the possibility of 2026 World Cup matches being played in suffocating conditions in cities such as Atlanta and Dallas, has asked FIFA to stipulate a temperature limit at which matches would have to be postponed.

"We would like to have this cut-off point above which the match does not go ahead, and it doesn't matter if it is the World Cup final or a league match," FIFPRO medical officer Vincent Gouttebarge told Reuters. "It should be postponed."

FIFA says its guidelines allow for cooling breaks in the 25th and 70th minute of matches when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), a combination of factors including air temperature, humidity, sun direction, cloud cover and stadium location, exceeds 32 Celsius, or 28 Celsius for under-20s and lower categories.

However, FIFPRO said it would like to see cooling breaks at 28 Celsius and no play at all if the WBGT exceeds 32 Celsius.

"The guidelines do not do enough to protect the health of the players and allow them to perform at their best," said Gouttebarge.

FIFPRO was particularly concerned by some Spanish league matches played at midday in late August and African Nations Cup games in Egypt in June and July.

"Some matches were scheduled to be played in the sun where there was an air temperature of 34/35 Celsius and the humidity was over 50 percent," he said, adding that FIFPRO also gets complaints from players in North and South America over midday kickoffs in hot, humid conditions.

Gouttebarge said it also a matter of allowing players to perform at their best.

"It's crazy to give employees this kind of bad environment because they cannot perform to their optimal level and this is also not fair on the spectators who want to see the players at their best," he said, adding that, as players cannot digest more than 250 millilitres of water every 20 minutes, cooling breaks should be short and frequent, in the 15th, 30th, 60th and 75th minutes.

Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, has developed cooling technology for its stadiums although it will not be needed after FIFA switched the tournament from the traditional June/July slot to November/December.

FIFA said in a statement to Reuters that, at 32 Celsius or more on the WBGT, additional drinks breaks may be permitted up to one minute at the discretion of the referee.

"The health of the players is a priority for FIFA," it said. "FIFA regularly monitors this matter, maintaining constant contact with current and on-going studies and reviewing our protocols, with a view to finding solutions that are applicable across the global football community."