It’s Getting Hot in Here: How Extreme Temperatures at the 2026 World Cup Could Spell Legal Trouble for Host Stadiums

By: Olivia Bassetti*                                                                          Posted: 03/20/2026

This summer, one of soccer’s biggest stages returns to North America, the FIFA Men’s World Cup.[1]  The United States, Mexico, and Canada will co-host the tournament from June 11, 2026, to July 19, 2026.[2]  This marks a return to the World Cup’s typical summer schedule after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was held in November and December to avoid the extreme Qatari summer heat.[3]  However, just because this year’s tournament is not being held in the Middle East does not mean players, fans, and organizers will not face temperature challenges.[4]  Evidenced by the 2024 Copa América tournament and the 2025 Club World Cup also held throughout North America in the summer months, North American temperatures can reach levels of unplayable heat too.[5]  While FIFA has already announced that they are going to require cooling breaks at the 22-minute mark of each half in every World Cup game regardless of the weather, World Cup players are not the only ones who will have to endure the heat.[6]  Long exposure to excessive heat and humidity puts attendees at higher risk of suffering a heat-related illness even if they are not exerting themselves in a similar way to the players.[7]  Thousands of fans will pack the World Cup stadiums this summer, and without proper precautionary measures, stadiums may find themselves at risk for heat-related legal trouble from fans.[8]

Current Landscape of Heat-Related Lawsuits

Lawsuits about heat stress and heat-related injuries at large events are becoming more prominent.[9]  Madonna was recently sued for refusing to turn on the air conditioning at one of her shows.[10]  The complaint alleged that the temperature inside the venue caused the concertgoers to become physically ill and suffer severe emotional distress.[11]  A law firm in Miami is currently looking for plaintiffs to bring suit against the music festival Ultra for heat illnesses they suffered while attending.[12]  Additionally, it is expected that there will be a lawsuit against Nats Park due to the park running out of water during a Stray Kids concert in June of 2025 leading to multiple concert goes being transported to the hospital.[13]

Bringing Suit Against a Venue

If attendees suffer from a heat-related illness, typically their most viable legal theory for holding the stadium liable is asserting a premises liability claim of negligence.[14]  This claim requires proving four elements: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and harm to the individual.[15]

Stadiums have a duty of care to implement safety measures to protect those on their property.[16]  Additionally, fans who attend these games are considered invitees, a categorization to which the highest duty of care is owed.[17]  Part of this duty of care is to protect the attendees from foreseeable danger.[18]  As heat risk at the World Cup games has been highly anticipated and talked about, the stadiums hosting the World Cup games should know the risks that come with proceeding with games during excessive temperatures.[19]

If stadiums expecting to experience excessive heat do not take measures to protect the fans, they can be found to have breached their duty of care for putting them at risk for heat-related illnesses.[20]  There are many things an injured fan can use as evidence that a stadium may have acted negligently when hosting a game in extreme temperatures such as a lack of shaded areas or cooling stations, a lack of access to water, a shortage of medical staff and tents, and/or a failure to warn about the risks of excessive heat exposure and signs of heat-related illnesses.[21]  if a fan attends a match at a stadium that fails to take preventative measures they should document it with photos or videos.[22]

After proving the stadium had a duty of care to the attendees, and that the stadium breached that duty, an attendee would then have to prove that the stadium’s lack of action or preparation was the cause of their injury.[23]  A court would then have to look into medical records and the facts that led up to the injury to see if the fan had any unforeseeable underlying issue or that the fan contributed to their heat illness by not drinking water, for example.[24]  This also ties into the final element where a court would investigate whether the fan suffered an injury that is redressable by the court.[25]  This requirement is usually satisfied by medical record documentation.[26]

Conclusion

The 2026 World Cup is anticipated to be the biggest World Cup to date and North American summer weather data has flagged almost all of the World Cup venues as at risk for extreme heat.[27]  With thousands of attendees from all over the globe and even more watching at home, it will be very important for stadium owners to ensure their venues are adequately prepared to provide heat relief to their fans.[28]  If they are caught unprepared, plaintiffs’ firms will likely seize the opportunity to bring premises liability and negligence claims against them.[29]

*Staff Writer, Jeffery S. Moorad Sports Law Journal, J.D. Candidate, May 2027, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

[1] See FIFA World Cup 2026: Fixtures, Groups, Teams, Tickets, Host Countries, Cities and More, FIFA (Dec. 5, 2025), https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/fifa-world-cup-2026-hosts-cities-dates-usa-mexico-canada (reporting that 2026 World Cup will be held at venues across Canada, Mexico, and United States).

[2] See id. (reporting that forty-eight teams will take part in 2026 World Cup from Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, July 19, 2026).

[3] See Mark Ogden, Qatar 2022: How Will Football Squeeze in a World Cup in November-December?, ESPN (Mar. 25, 2021, at 08:15 ET), https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37615479/how-football-squeeze-world-cup-november-December (reporting that 2022 World Cup was moved from originally being held in June and July in Qatar to being held in November and December to avoid Qatar’s summer temperatures which average 106.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

[4] See Donel Mullan, Lestyn Barr, Neil Brannigan, Nuala Flood, Oliver R. Gibson, Catherine Hambly, Alan T. Kennedy-Asser, Aimée C. Kielt, Tom Matthews & Madeleine Orr, Extreme Heat Risk and the Potential Implication for the Scheduling of Football Matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 60 Int’l J. Biometeorol 753, 753 (2025) (reporting that fourteen out of sixteen of 2026 North American World Cup cities frequently recorded temperatures levels that some football governing bodies recommend canceling match).

[5] See Jeff Carlisle, Copa America Heat-Induced Incidents Show 2026 World Cup Risk, ESPN (June 29, 2024, at 13:29 ET), https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/40454071/brutal-heat-copa-america-2024-usmnt-uruguay-2026-world-cup-risk (reporting players struggling under heat and humidity at Copa America venues including cities like Kansas City Missouri, Miami, and Charlotte, North Carolina); see also Mark Ogeden, Is the U.S. Too Hot to Handle the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup?, ESPN (July 10, 2025, at 11:05 ET), https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/45703299/club-world-cup-heat-usa-mexico-fifa-2026-world-cup-concerns-temperatures-cooling-breaks (discussing multiple games during Club World Cup that should have been delayed or canceled because temperature exceeded permissible levels).

[6] See FIFA to Use Cooling Breaks at Every World Cup 2026 Game, Regardless of Weather, Guardian (Dec. 8, 2025, at 13:15 ET), https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/08/fifa-world-cup-2026-cooling-breaks (reporting that FIFA announced there will be three-minute hydration breaks each half of every game, effectively splitting each game into four “quarters”).

[7] See Mullan et al., supra note 4 (explaining that extreme heat increases probability that athletes can contract exertional heat illness, which, at its worst, can take form as life-threatening heat stroke).

[8] See FIFA World Cup 2026: Fixtures, Groups, Teams, Tickets, Host Countries, Cities and More, supra note 1 (reporting capacity of each World Cup stadium throughout Canada, Mexico, and United States with highest capacity stadium holding approximately 78,576 fans at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and lowest capacity stadium holding approximately 44,315 fans at Toronto Stadium in Canada).

[9] See Injured at a Music Festival? Know Your Rights!, Yonkers Times (Nov. 16, 2024), https://yonkerstimes.com/injured-at-a-music-festival-know-your-rights (stating that attendees should know rights they have to pursue legal recourse in event they think they have suffered from heat related illness at venue).

[10] See Hillel Aron, Madonna Dodges Heat as Hot Concert Lawsuit Fizzles, Courthouse News Source (May 22, 2025), https://www.courthousenews.com/madonna-dodges-heat-as-hot-concert-lawsuit-fizzles/ (detailing putative class action filed suit against Madonna alleging she subjected them to unbearable heat during her concert at Kia Forum in California).

[11] See id. (Detailing that class claimed they became physically ill at her concert, but the judge dismissed the claims because there was no medical documentation of the reported illness).

[12] See Heat Exhaustion and Dehydration Injuries at Ultra Music Festival: Who Is Liable?, Maus Law Firm (April 15, 2025), https://www.mauslawfirm.com/heat-exhaustion-and-dehydration-injuries-at-ultra-music-festival-who-is-liable/ (giving signs of symptoms of heat illnesses, elements required for attendee’s claim, and options for bringing suit against Ultra).

[13] See Scott Taylor, Lawsuit Expected Over Claims Nats Park Ran Out of Water During Stray Kids Concert, Fox 25 News (Nov. 5, 2025, at 21:01 ET), https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/lawsuit-expected-to-be-filed-over-claims-nats-park-ran-out-of-water-during-k-pop-concert-stray-kids-korean-pop (detailing outdoor concert held in Washington D.C. on evening with heat index of 110 and venue would not allow attendees to bring their own water in with them, only for venue to run out of water themselves).

[14] See Can You Sue for Heat-Related Injuries at Theme Parks or Outdoor Events?, Urban Their & Federer, P.A. (Sep. 24, 2025), https://www.urbanthier.com/blog/2025/09/can-you-sue-for-heat-related-injuries-at-theme-parks-or-outdoor-events/ (stating that venue or event organizer can be held liable for heat-related injuries if negligence can be proven).

[15] See id. (stating four elements to prove negligence in United States personal injury law is duty, breach, causation, and harm); see also 62 Am. Jur. 2d Premises Liability §30 (2026) (stating generally accepted elements for premises liability negligence claim).

[16] See Robert M. Knowles, Can a Sports Stadium Be Liable for Injuries Caused by Negligent Security?, Knowles Law Firm (Feb. 2, 2026), https://www.knowleslawfirm.com/can-sports-stadium-liable-injuries-caused-negligent-security/ (discussing that stadiums owe duty of care to attendees and to hold venues liable, plaintiff also has to establish breach, causation, and harm).

[17] See Injured at a Music Festival? Know Your Rights!, supra note 9 (discussing duty of care that venues owe to those that attend their events, that licensee is owed highest duty of care, and licensee is anyone whose presence on property benefits owner, such as someone who purchases ticket to event).

[18] See Robert M. Knowles, supra note 16 (discussing that stadiums may be liable if danger to attendees was foreseeable or preventable).

[19] See Mark Ogeden, supra note 5 (discussing that high profile coaches, players, and World Cup organizers have expressed concern over playability based on soaring heat and humidity that plagued teams during 2025 Club World Cup).

[20] See Can You Sue for Heat-Related Injuries at Theme Parks or Outdoor Events?, supra note 14 (discussing that extreme heat is foreseeable hazard and those most vulnerable to extreme heat include those not accustomed to U.S. climates, children, older adults, and event workers).

[21] See id. (reporting that popular way for venues to protect themselves is to allow people to bring in water bottles with them to event).

[22] See id. (stating that witness statements can also help prove that stadium breached their duty of care).

[23] See id. (discussing that breach of this duty occurs when venue fails to warn or take mitigating actions of known danger); see also 62 Am. Jur. 2d Premises Liability §32 (2026) (stating there must be connection between injured person and condition of property).

[24] See Can You Sue for Heat-Related Injuries at Theme Parks or Outdoor Events?, supra note 14(discussing that documentation is very important when you think you might be suffering from heat related injury caused by venue).

[25] See id. (discussing that common injuries from excessive heat exposure include heat stroke, dehydration, or fall from fainting).

[26] See id. (reporting that courts will look to your medical records, photos, and witness statements when assessing your case).

[27] See Martyn Herman, Extreme Heat a Rising Threat to 2026 World Cup Venues, Says Report, Reuters (Sep. 9, 2025, at 11:53 EDT), https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/extreme-heat-rising-threat-2026-world-cup-venues-says-report-2025-09-09/ (reporting that ten out of sixteen venues are at very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions).

[28] See Greg O’Keeffe, How the Biggest World Cup Will Be Different, Athletic (Dec. 2, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6798308/2025/12/02/world-cup-2026-biggest-different/ (reporting that 2026 World Cup will be biggest world cup to date with forty-eight total countries being represented, sixteen more than were represented in 2022 World Cup).

[29] For further discussion on previous and anticipated heat related lawsuits see supra notes 9–13.