FIFPRO Considers Extending Halftime to 20 Minutes and Introducing Additional Cooling Breaks to Tackle Extreme Heat Conditions

The global players’ union, FIFPRO, is investigating the possibility of extending halftime to 20 minutes and implementing additional cooling breaks to better safeguard players against extreme heat.

Out of the 16 cities hosting the 2026 World Cup, nine are expected to experience conditions classified as “extreme risk” for heat-related illnesses.

Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey, and Philadelphia are all anticipated to encounter hazardous levels of heat and humidity, raising serious safety concerns for players and prompting demands for obligatory cooling measures or alterations to the schedule.

FIFPRO’s evaluations of heat risk rely on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a metric that takes into account temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed to determine how environmental factors affect the body’s natural cooling processes.

According to FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT measurement surpassing 28 degrees Celsius suggests that matches should be postponed or rescheduled to ensure player safety.

In contrast, FIFA’s guidelines stipulate a higher extreme risk threshold of 32 degrees Celsius WBGT; however, even with this benchmark, six of the nine cities are projected to surpass safe limits.

In Major League Soccer in the United States, the set threshold stands at 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.

“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological standpoint, it does not make sense.” remarked Vincent Gouttebarge, Medical Director of FIFPRO.

“Even if you consume more than 200 millilitres of fluid, your body can’t absorb it all. Therefore, I would certainly advocate for exploring the effectiveness of more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – say, every 15 minutes instead of just one for each half.”

Extended Halftime

Gouttebarge also expressed doubt regarding the adequacy of the customary 15-minute halftime when matches are contested in extreme heat.

“You could argue that a 15-minute halftime might not be sufficient to lower core temperature.” he stated.

“Extending halftime to 20 minutes could be a significant improvement. Laboratory studies have shown this, and alongside the national union in Portugal, FIFPRO is set to test this form of mitigation strategy in August.”

The necessity for enhanced heat protocols was highlighted during the recent Club World Cup, where two matches – Benfica against Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea versus Esperance in Philadelphia – exceeded the WBGT threshold deemed unsafe by FIFPRO.

“From our perspective, those matches should have been postponed or rescheduled for later that day,” Gouttebarge noted.

While FIFPRO acknowledged that FIFA responded positively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and enhancing hydration measures on the sidelines, they emphasised the importance of proactive planning.

“FIFA has been quite amenable once the tournament commenced,” stated Alex Phillips, General Secretary of FIFPRO.

“They’ve effectively adapted their approach to managing heat during matches based on FIFPRO’s feedback, which is commendable. Of course, it would have been preferable if these adjustments had been made beforehand, but we appreciate their responsiveness.”

FIFPRO cautioned that the challenges witnessed at the Club World Cup may foreshadow what players could encounter in the expanded 2026 World Cup.

“This situation is not limited to the Club World Cup but will impact future tournaments either in the U.S. or in other regions worldwide,” explained Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO’s Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.

“We must establish a better equilibrium between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, highlighting earlier kick-off times that cater to European television audiences.

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