Despite pleas from the players’ union to avoid midday starts in certain heat-impacted locations during next summer’s FIFA World Cup, it seems as if soccer’s governing body is planning to play its most important game in sweltering conditions.
According to a report by Melanie Anzidei of The Athletic, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy believes FIFA will kickoff the World Cup final at 3 p.m. ET in his state’s MetLife Stadium.
“I don’t want to speak for FIFA, and obviously they call the shots, but I think they’re circling in and around 3 p.m. New Jersey time for the World Cup final on July 19,” Murphy told The Athletic.
Murphy’s comments come shortly after FIFPRO, a union representing over 70,000 soccer players globally, urged FIFA to consider moving start times in locations deemed “high risk” for heat-related injury. New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium was one location to receive that designation.
FIFA, of course, would like to keep the World Cup final at a time that is friendly for its global audience. A 3 p.m. ET kickoff would allow most markets in Europe and Asia to view the match without entering the overnight hours. The federation earns billions of dollars from selling media rights to the event around the world, and it is critical FIFA keep its broadcast partners satisfied, especially for a game as big as the final.
However, that decision could come at the risk of player safety. It is likely FIFA will look at the effectiveness of its cooling breaks system, which has been implemented for the Club World Cup in the United States this summer, and adapt it to the 2026 World Cup next year.
Given the criticisms FIFA has faced during this summer’s Club World Cup, which in many ways has served as a dry run for 2026, debates over match scheduling could become more contentious as December approaches, and the World Cup draw (and schedule) are revealed.