ANDl World Cup 2026 has triggered the levels of demand experienced in the World Cup since the competition was born in 1930. It is not just that the number of teams has risen to 48 and that there is one more round. We are facing a World Cup in three countries, something we have never experienced before, and with conditions that force the medical teams of the national teams to face situations never before recorded collectively.
It will not just be about having the players ready, measuring efforts and rest. A World Cup is facing in which extreme heat, altitude, pollution, allergies and long journeys have put doctors and physical trainers of all teams on alert. The work plan is very different from other tournaments. A radical change compared to what was experienced in Qatar less than four years ago. From a homogeneous World Cup we went to one of radical changes.
For a long time, like the rest of the selections, the body of work of Luis de la Fuente It is working on how to respond to the number of demands that Spain will face. You think of Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. But also in those hidden threats behind every day in the World Cup of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
extreme heat
The safest venues on paper are Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Torontobut specialists assure that none of them are outside the risk of extreme heat situations. Spain plays its first two games in Atlanta, where the average in June is between 27.4 and 30 degrees Celsius. He Mercedes-Benz Stadium It is air-conditioned, which will compensate for playing at 12 in the morning against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. The conditions in Chattanooga, Spain’s base camp, will be somewhat milder, but within notable heat. Of the 16 stadiums that will host World Cup matches, those in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver They have a retractable roof or air conditioning, something that can greatly reduce the thermal impact during matches.
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The third match of Spain will be in Guadalajara, against Uruguay. In that area of Mexico the heat is lower, but an important threat appears: playing at more than 1,500 meters above sea level.
The Club World Cup It was already a severe warning. The impact on the game has been studied: the distance traveled at high intensity decreases, sprints are reduced, players manage more efforts, possession periods increase and duels and quick transitions decrease. Added to this is the obvious risk of heat stroke for players.
Altitude in Mexico
Mexico City, 2,240 meters above sea level; Guadalajara. 1,566 meters. They are the two venues that present the problem of playing at altitude. Nine matches will be played in Mexico, scenarios where the lower availability of oxygen can have a direct impact on the performance of non-adapted soccer players. Studies reveal that at this point aerobic capacity decreases and recovery between intense efforts slows down, an especially relevant aspect in a sport based on accelerations, changes of pace and repeated high-intensity actions.
Altitude conditions the physical section. It is reduced between a 3% and 9% in the distance traveled, in addition to a drop of up to 21% in high-speed actions in soccer players who are not acclimatized. The games have become slower, with less aggressive pressures and the need to better manage efforts to avoid premature wear and tear.
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Teams accustomed to playing at altitude obtain measurable benefits over rivals from sea level, to the point that some research estimates this advantage at approximately half a goal for every 1,000 meters of elevation. Therefore, teams that have to compete in Mexico City or Guadalajara will have to decide whether they arrive with enough time to acclimatize or whether they choose to minimize exposure time before the games. The second way will be the usual one due to the time pressure. Spain will live at 206 meters of altitude in Chattanooga and will play at 320 in Atlanta.
Spain will test the effects in Puebla, in the friendly against Peru. In four days he will go from playing at sea level to A Coruña at 2,135 meters. And with the effects of a transoceanic trip involved. Arrive tonight at around nine and return after the game.
The World Cup of airplanes
The third great enemy of the 2026 World Cup will not be visible from the stands. The World Cup will be held in three countries and over more than 4,000 kilometers from north to south and 4,300 from east to west, an unprecedented dimension in the history of the tournament. For many footballers, especially those playing in Europe, Asia or South America, the journey will begin even before joining their national teams. Some may crossto 19 time zones of the 24 main ones in the world before reaching their concentrations, a circumstance capable of profoundly altering the biological rhythms of the organism.
The problem is not just flight fatigue. jet lag It causes a misalignment between the biological clock and the time of the destination, generating sleep disturbances, fatigue, concentration difficulties and even an increased risk of illness and injury. The body may need approximately one day for each time zone crossed when traveling east to return to normal. For this reason, they recommend that the teams arrive at their headquarters as early as possible to facilitate adaptation.
The difficulty will not end with the start of the championship. Although teams will only move between three different time zones during the tournament, some internal trips may take up to seven hours of flight time. The accumulation of trips, training sessions and matches can generate what they call “travel fatigue”a combination of lack of sleep, disorientation and persistent fatigue that can affect performance even after jet lag has disappeared.
In the case of Spain, the challenge will not be so much the time change as the accumulation of wear and tear. The majority of the internationals will arrive from European leagues with acceptable time differences with respect to North America, but they will do so after an extremely demanding season and a powerful series of minutes of high tension and intensity.
allergies
Between the heat, the altitude and the long journeys there is a much less visible threat that also worries medical services: seasonal allergies. The World Cup will be held between June and July, coinciding with the presence of different types of pollen in most of the host cities. Soccer players will be exposed to varying concentrations of allergens and air pollutants, a particularly problematic combination for those who suffer from asthma, allergic rhinitis or respiratory sensitivity.
Although for most fans an allergy may seem like a minor annoyance, in elite sport it can become a performance problem. Nasal congestion, sneezing, eye irritation, breathing difficulties or reduced lung function can affect the training and recovery capacity of the players. Furthermore, these symptoms can worsen when they coincide with episodes of air pollution or high temperatures, two scenarios that will also be present during the tournament.
For this reason, the teams work with individualized plans to identify the most sensitive footballers before the competition. The objective is not only to treat symptoms when they appear, but to anticipate them through medical check-ups, monitoring of pollen levels and specific prevention protocols. In a competition where the margins are minimal, breathing well can end up being as important as running fast.
Pollution and fires
If the heat appears as the most obvious threat to the 2026 World Cup, the pollution It will probably be the most unpredictable. The geographical dispersion of the tournament will force the teams to travel between cities with very different levels of air quality. Some venues, such as Los Angeles (where Spain would play in the round of 32 and quarterfinals if they win their group) or Mexico Cityhistorically present higher concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, while others may be affected by specific phenomena that are impossible to anticipate months in advance.
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The main risk for footballers is related to respiratory system. Exposure to ozone, particulate matter, and other pollutants can cause respiratory tract irritation, feelings of fatigue, cough, or a temporary reduction in lung capacity. In elite athletes, who can mobilize enormous volumes of air during a match, any respiratory alteration has a direct impact on physical performance and recovery.
Added to this is a growing threat on the West Coast of North America: forest fires. In recent years, cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle or Vancouverr have suffered smoke episodes capable of drastically deteriorating air quality for days. Although it is impossible to predict whether they will occur again during the World, Medical services consider these scenarios within their contingency plans. In a tournament where every detail counts, air quality can become as determining a factor as the state of the grass or weather conditions.
The 2026 World Cup It will not just be a great competition between teams. It will also be a battle against the environment. And in that invisible fight, which will be fought far from the ball and the spotlight, may lie the keys to success or failure.