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Editorial
In-match strategies to mitigate the effect of heat on football (soccer) players’ health and performance
  1. George P Nassis1,2,
  2. Olivier Girard3,
  3. George Tom Chiampas4,5,
  4. Peter Krustrup2,6,
  5. Sebastien Racinais7
  1. 1 Department of Physical Education, College of Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
  2. 2 University of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Health Sciences, Odense, Denmark
  3. 3 School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  4. 4 Emergency Department, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
  5. 5 United States Soccer Federation, Chicago, Illinois, USA
  6. 6 Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  7. 7 Environmental Stress Unit, CREPS Montpellier Font-Romeu, Montpellier, France
  1. Correspondence to Dr. George P Nassis, Department of Physical Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE; georgenassis{at}gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107907

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    The 2026 FIFA World Cup challenge

    Historical data between 2012 and 2021 reveal the potential weather challenges awaiting the upcoming 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup slated for June-July 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.1 The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is projected to range between 30°C and 35°C in six host cities (Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami and Monterrey) in the afternoon (15:00–18:00 hours).1 To beat the heat, recommended strategies include allowing adequate time to acclimatise, implementing in-match cooling breaks and planning for effective rehydration.2 3 The most effective method to beat the heat is heat acclimatisation/acclimation.4 For football players, maintaining internal body temperature above 38.5°C for 60 min with training for a total of 10–14 sessions may ensure adequate heat adaptations.4 In addition, maintaining euhydration during a football match in the heat is essential and it can reduce internal body temperature and improve physiological function compared with playing in a dehydrated state.5 Although in-play cooling is advocated,3 there is a scarcity of literature addressing the most efficient cooling methods,2 with the majority of available evidence not directly applicable to football. Consequently, the aim of this editorial is to provide a brief discussion of evidence, grounded in realistic studies, pertaining …

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    Footnotes

    • X @gnassis, @dr_o_girard, @GeorgeChiampas, @sdusport, @ephysiol

    • Contributors GPN created the idea for this editorial and drafted the first version of the paper. All authors contributed in modifying the manuscript and approved the final version.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests GPN and SR are associate editors of British Journal of Sports Medicine.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.