Extreme Heat Considerations in International Football Venues: The Utility of Climatologic Data in Decision Making

Context: Exposure to severe heat can have detrimental effects on athletic performance and increase the risk of exertional heat injuries. Therefore, proactive assessment of the environmental characteristics of international football match venues becomes critical in ensuring the safety and optimal performance of the athletes. Objective: To propose the use of climatologic data (modeled wet-bulb globe temperature [WBGT]) in making athletic-event management decisions for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and the 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup. Design: Descriptive study. Setting: Hourly meteorologic input data for a WBGT model were obtained from the second Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications for Japan (Yokohama and Saitama) and Qatar (Doha and Al-Daayen). Main Outcome Measure(s): The pattern of hourly WBGT and percentage of hours between 30 degrees C and 32 degrees C and exceeding 32 degrees C WBGT during the expected competition periods for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan and the scheduled (November, December) and traditional (June, July) periods of the World Cup games in Qatar. Results: The WBGT during the 2020 Olympic football tournament in Japan may exceed 30 degrees C in 40% to 50% of the late mornings and early afternoons. The shift in tournament timing for the 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup in Qatar from the summer to late fall will reduce the exposure to >30 degrees C WBGT to null. Conclusions: Directors of mass sporting events should consider using climatologic data in their organizational decision making to assess the potential heat illness risk and to implement risk-mitigation plans.