Czechia, with Lukas Cerv, is playing vs. South Korea in Guadalajara, and vs. Mexico in Mexico City, yet is the only squad in Group A that isn’t training in elevation in Mexico.
Czechia, with Lukas Cerv, is playing vs. South Korea in Guadalajara, and vs. Mexico in Mexico City, yet is the only squad in Group A that isn’t training in elevation in Mexico.Julio Cortez/AP Photo/Julio Cortez
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to be played across three countries — Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The matches will be played at 16 sites situated thousands of miles apart, in climates that are distinct.
Summers in the Northeast, Kansas City, Mo., and Monterrey, Mexico, are hot and humid. Miami summers are also sweltering, and feature about 10 thunderstorms a day. Guadalajara (5,138 feet) and Mexico City (7,350) sit at high elevation. West Coast temperatures are generally moderate, and Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, and Vancouver will have perfect conditions under a dome.
NFL fans know the importance of weather — players can’t catch their breath in Denver, melt in the humidity of Miami, and watch the ball fly fair and true in domes.
FIFA added hydration breaks in each half to manage the heat, and attempted to mitigate the weather and travel variables for the 48 participants. But these countries are going to have a tougher road than the rest based on conditions and travel:
⋅ Czechia (No. 39 in FIFA world rankings): The Czechs qualified for their first World Cup since 2006, and they might want to bring some oxygen tanks. They’re playing two games at elevation — vs. South Korea in Guadalajara, and vs. Mexico in Mexico City — yet they’re the only squad in Group A that isn’t training in elevation in Mexico.
Czechia instead will be training in suburban Dallas, which is hot, humid, and decidedly not high-altitude. Its one break will be a noon kick in the domed Atlanta stadium against South Africa.
⋅ Uruguay (No. 16): The two-time champion wilted four years ago in Qatar, failing to get out of the group stage. Uruguay shouldn’t have a problem this year in a group with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, but FIFA is going to make “La Celeste” earn it.
Uruguay, one of South America’s lowest-lying countries, is training at sea level in Cancun, Mexico (where players are also known to develop a mysterious flu from late-night reveling), but has its biggest match of the group stage at elevation, against Spain in Guadalajara. Spain will have some elevation acclimation while training in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Uruguay also will have to deal with the humidity and persistent threat of thunderstorms in Miami, playing two 6 p.m. group matches there, plus a Round of 32 match if it finishes second in Group H.
⋅ France (No. 3): The 2018 champion and 2022 runner-up will likely have its conditioning tested early in this tournament. Its group stage features three potentially hot and humid matches in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. The matches vs. Senegal and Norway are in the prime heat of the day at 3 p.m., and the Iraq match won’t be much cooler at 5 p.m. France also gets a 5 p.m. match in New York in the Round of 32 if it wins Group I.
⋅ Tunisia (No. 46): Playing in its seventh World Cup, Tunisia has never advanced past the group stage and faces a steep challenge again, with the double whammy of playing in one of the toughest groups (Sweden, Japan, Netherlands) and in the toughest environments.
The Eagles of Carthage play two matches in muggy Monterrey, including an unusual 11 p.m. local start time (midnight Eastern) against Japan, and a crucial match against the Netherlands in sweltering Kansas City. Training in Monterrey will help Tunisia prepare for the heat, and all of its matches are at night, but the other three countries in Group F play at least two matches each indoors.
⋅ Scotland (No. 42): The Tartan Army will be out in full force for Scotland’s first World Cup since 1998, but needs to pace itself and stock up on water. The Scots will train in sizzling Charlotte, N.C., play group-stage matches in Boston (twice) and Miami (against Brazil), and would get a Round of 32 match in Monterrey in the unlikely event it can beat out Brazil or Morocco for second in Group C.
⋅ Brazil (No. 6): The five-time champion is probably used to the heat, but that doesn’t mean it will enjoy it in this tournament. Brazil is training in muggy New Jersey, has three hot matches in New York, Philadelphia, and Miami, and plays a Round of 32 match in Monterrey if it finishes second to Morocco in Group C. Brazil didn’t get a domed game in Atlanta like Morocco did, either.
⋅ Curacao (No. 82): The Blue Wave are playing in their first World Cup, and didn’t get many favors from FIFA. Based in Boca Raton, Fla., Curacao has three not-short flights to its matches (Houston, Kansas City, and Philadelphia), and plays two in the heat, including a 4 p.m. start in Philly against Ivory Coast.
⋅ Ecuador (No. 23): “La Tricolor” has a decent shot to advance out of group play for the second time in five attempts, but the conditions won’t be easy. Ecuador plays hot-weather matches in Philly, Kansas City, and New York, the latter of which is a 4 p.m. start, and its training city of Columbus, Ohio, is no breeze during the summer, either.
⋅ Austria (No. 24): FIFA is sending Austria, which hasn’t advanced out of group play since 1954, on a bit of a barnstorming tour in its first World Cup in 28 years. “Das Team” will train in Santa Barbara, Calif., and play matches in San Francisco, Dallas, and Kansas City. The flights aren’t crazy long, but it’s more travel and time zones than most teams have to deal with.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.