Can football survive the heat?

I grew up in a football-loving family. I was surrounded by goal-screaming commentators whose voices are forever ingrained in my brain. The joy of seeing the local team score a goal is a feeling that never leaves you. Like many children in Latin America, I also grew up playing football. My neighbours and friends used to play with any ball we could find, using a couple of stones to delimit the goalposts. The PE curriculum included some football playing every year, and we always looked forward to the inter-school competitions throughout the year. Naturally, as big football fans, the World Cup would always turn my environment into a huge celebration. It didn't matter if the country team was playing; there was always something to enjoy.

This year's World Cup feels different. While debates about commercialisation, betting and corporate influence continue to surround major tournaments, another challenge is becoming impossible to ignore: climate change.

We cannot deny the rising temperatures, so it is important to highlight the effects and how those can affect our beloved sports. During this World Cup, temperatures have become high enough for mandatory cooling breaks, something that was rarely seen in elite football only a few years ago, where these types of breaks were optional.

But climate change is not only affecting elite competitions. The impacts are increasingly being felt in local parks, school playing fields and grassroots clubs. The main impacts come from flooded or waterlogged pitches, as well as droughts and heatwaves. According to Alma Economics, extreme weather is already costing UK grassroots sport around £320 million annually, and is dictating training schedules and leading to damaged facilities and closures. Most clubs have reported having to postpone or cancel their sporting events due to weather-related issues. When matches are cancelled because of heat, children lose more than exercise. They lose opportunities to socialise, build confidence and participate in their communities.

When sport becomes a luxury

Elite athletes train in facilities that are already adapting to rising temperatures. Clubs can afford cooling systems, additional water supplies and the increased energy costs that come with them. They benefit from access to premium facilities, while grassroots clubs face financial constraints to implement climate adaptation strategies. The impacts of climate change also have a knock-on effect on participation: to fund these increasing expenses, clubs might have to increase membership fees, running the risk of becoming exclusive or pricing out the local community.

Grassroots clubs are already being forced to rearrange competition calendars and training schedules around increasingly unpredictable weather. In many communities, there are still too few public spaces where children can play safely during periods of extreme heat.

Recent heatwave warnings across the UK and Europe have already led to school closures and disruption to outdoor activities. I worry that rising temperatures could create another layer of inequality. Families with access to private facilities, indoor sports centres or cooled environments will continue to play and train. Those without those resources may find their opportunities increasingly limited. The gap between those who can afford climate-resilient facilities and those who cannot may continue to widen, leaving many children with fewer opportunities to play, exercise and socialise.

Defending the future of the game

This is a call for climate action. At the international level, we should push leaders to accelerate collaboration and emissions reductions. Nationally, we need clearer commitments from MPs, starting with something as simple as a national climate emergency briefing so everyone is working from the same information. Local authorities must also be given the funding they need to help schools and communities adapt, investing in infrastructure that supports sport and leisure safely in a changing climate.

As committed citizens, we must not forget what football has given us. For me, it has always been a space that is more than just physical exercise; it's where we come together. These benefits go beyond physical and mental health, creating opportunities for people to build relationships, find belonging and become part of a wider community.

The right to play should not depend on whether a family, school or local club can afford to adapt to a changing climate. I want a future where my children, and their children after them, can still play football safely and freely. Climate action and adaptation are no longer optional; they are necessary to protect the spaces, communities and opportunities that sport creates. Football is more than a game. It brings people together, supports physical and mental wellbeing, and helps build communities. Children have the right to play and the right to a safe environment. The question is whether we are willing to act now to protect both.

illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy Thought Leaders, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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