World Cup Faces Dangerous Heat Problems Due to Climate Change

Climate scientists are warning that this year's World Cup soccer tournament could be very dangerous. The tournament will be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada during the summer months. Rising temperatures from climate change are making it harder to play soccer safely in hot weather. Some experts think this might be one of the last World Cups played during the summer.

The problems started even before the tournament began. When Argentina's team arrived in Kansas City for training, powerful thunderstorms hit the area. The storms knocked out electricity, knocked down trees, and brought flood and tornado warnings. These kinds of extreme weather events are becoming more common because of climate change.

Kaitlyn Trudeau works as a climate scientist for Climate Central. She says climate change will definitely affect this World Cup. High humidity makes the heat feel even worse for players and fans. Scientists worry that someone could get seriously hurt or even die from the extreme heat.

FIFA is the organization that runs the World Cup. The FIFA president is already talking about moving future tournaments to cooler months like March or October. For now, they are trying other ways to deal with the heat, like starting games earlier and giving players cooling breaks. Some stadiums also have air conditioning to keep people cool.