Saturday s match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia is scheduled to kick off at 5pm local time, with temperatures expected to exceed safety recommendations issued by the global players union FIFPro.
The US National Weather Service has warned that a powerful heat dome covering parts of the United States and Canada could push heat index values to between 105°F and 115°F across several World Cup host cities.
The extreme weather is also expected to strain power grids and disrupt Fourth of July celebrations across the country.
Climate scientist Friederike Otto said the dangerous conditions highlight the growing impact of climate change on major sporting events and daily life, warning that the situation will worsen without a transition to net-zero emissions.
Extreme heat and humidity have remained a major concern throughout the tournament, a year after FIFPro warned about player safety during the Club World Cup held in the United States.
While FIFPro welcomed FIFA s efforts to improve scheduling and venue selection for the World Cup, it said some matches still pose health risks due to high temperatures.
The players union stressed that rising global temperatures would increasingly influence future tournament schedules, although FIFA currently has no rule requiring automatic postponement of matches because of extreme heat.
