FIFPRO Seeks Longer Halftimes, Cooling Breaks for 2026 World Cup Heat Risks

The global players' union FIFPRO is advocating for extending halftime breaks to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks to protect soccer players from extreme heat, particularly at the 2026 World Cup hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Nine of the 16 host cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Monterrey, are classified as high risk for heat-related illnesses based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) measurements, which consider temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed. FIFPRO's guidelines recommend postponing matches if WBGT exceeds 28°C, a stricter threshold than FIFA's 32°C, yet many cities are projected to surpass safe limits even by FIFA's standard. FIFPRO’s medical director, Vincent Gouttebarge, highlighted that traditional cooling breaks at the 30th and 75th minutes are insufficient and that shorter, more frequent breaks every 15 minutes would better help manage players' core temperatures. FIFA has shown responsiveness by lowering thresholds for cooling and water breaks during the ongoing Club World Cup heatwave, though FIFPRO criticizes the delay in implementing these measures before the tournament started. Research and testing of extended halftime protocols are being planned to optimize heat mitigation strategies for future competitions, including the 2030 World Cup co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, where heat risks may be even more severe.