{"id":2322,"date":"2026-06-09T15:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T15:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2026-06-09T15:34:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T15:34:38","slug":"heat-humidity-elevation-long-travel-these-countries-have-the-toughest-road-at-the-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2322","title":{"rendered":"Heat, humidity, elevation, long travel \u2014 these countries have the toughest road at the World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to be played across three countries \u2014 Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The matches will be played at 16 sites situated thousands of miles apart, in climates that are distinct.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Vance demands Justice Department probe of Minnesota officials as White House presses \u2018war on fraud\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Summers in the Northeast, Kansas City, Mo., and Monterrey, Mexico, are hot and humid. Miami summers are also sweltering, and feature about 10 thunderstorms a day. Guadalajara (5,138 feet) and Mexico City (7,350) sit at high elevation. West Coast temperatures are generally moderate, and Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, and Vancouver will have perfect conditions under a dome.<\/span><\/p>\n

NFL fans know the importance of weather \u2014 players can\u2019t catch their breath in Denver, melt in the humidity of Miami, and watch the ball fly fair and true in domes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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FIFA added hydration breaks in each half to manage the heat, and attempted to mitigate the weather and travel variables for the 48 participants. But these countries are going to have a tougher road than the rest based on conditions and travel:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u22c5 Czechia (No. 39 in FIFA world rankings): <\/b>The Czechs qualified for their first World Cup since 2006, and they might want to bring some oxygen tanks. They\u2019re playing two games at elevation \u2014 vs. South Korea in Guadalajara, and vs. Mexico in Mexico City \u2014 yet they\u2019re the only squad in Group A that isn\u2019t training in elevation in Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>Who should you root for in the World Cup? Take our quiz to pick a country.<\/div>\n

Czechia instead will be training in suburban Dallas, which is hot, humid, and decidedly not high-altitude. Its one break will be a noon kick in the domed Atlanta stadium against South Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u22c5 Uruguay (No. 16): <\/b>The two-time champion wilted four years ago in Qatar, failing to get out of the group stage. Uruguay shouldn\u2019t have a problem this year in a group with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, but FIFA is going to make \u201cLa Celeste\u201d earn it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uruguay, one of South America\u2019s lowest-lying countries, is training at sea level in Cancun, Mexico (where players are also known to develop a mysterious flu from late-night reveling), but has its biggest match of the group stage at elevation, against Spain in Guadalajara. Spain will have some elevation acclimation while training in Chattanooga, Tenn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uruguay also will have to deal with the humidity and persistent threat of thunderstorms in Miami, playing two 6 p.m. group matches there, plus a Round of 32 match if it finishes second in Group H.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more The Kennedy Center drops \u2018Trump\u2019 branding as Bill Maher\u2019s Twain Award guests are revealed<\/a><\/p>\n

\u22c5 France (No. 3): <\/b>The 2018 champion and 2022 runner-up will likely have its conditioning tested early in this tournament. Its group stage features three potentially hot and humid matches in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. The matches vs. Senegal and Norway are in the prime heat of the day at 3 p.m., and the Iraq match won\u2019t be much cooler at 5 p.m. France also gets a 5 p.m. match in New York in the Round of 32 if it wins Group I.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>The US men\u2019s national team\u2019s biggest lineup debate has Massachusetts ties at its core<\/div>\n

\u22c5 Tunisia (No. 46): <\/b>Playing in its seventh World Cup, Tunisia has never advanced past the group stage and faces a steep challenge again, with the double whammy of playing in one of the toughest groups (Sweden, Japan, Netherlands) and in the toughest environments.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Eagles of Carthage play two matches in muggy Monterrey, including an unusual 11 p.m. local start time (midnight Eastern) against Japan, and a crucial match against the Netherlands in sweltering Kansas City. Training in Monterrey will help Tunisia prepare for the heat, and all of its matches are at night, but the other three countries in Group F play at least two matches each indoors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u22c5 Scotland (No. 42): <\/b>The Tartan Army will be out in full force for Scotland\u2019s first World Cup since 1998, but needs to pace itself and stock up on water. The Scots will train in sizzling Charlotte, N.C., play group-stage matches in Boston (twice) and Miami (against Brazil), and would get a Round of 32 match in Monterrey in the unlikely event it can beat out Brazil or Morocco for second in Group C.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u22c5 Brazil (No. 6): <\/b>The five-time champion is probably used to the heat, but that doesn\u2019t mean it will enjoy it in this tournament. Brazil is training in muggy New Jersey, has three hot matches in New York, Philadelphia, and Miami, and plays a Round of 32 match in Monterrey if it finishes second to Morocco in Group C. Brazil didn\u2019t get a domed game in Atlanta like Morocco did, either.<\/span><\/p>\n

Related: <\/span><\/span>Here are 10 World Cup players to keep an eye on<\/div>\n

\u22c5 Curacao (No. 82): <\/b>The Blue Wave are playing in their first World Cup, and didn\u2019t get many favors from FIFA. Based in Boca Raton, Fla., Curacao has three not-short flights to its matches (Houston, Kansas City, and Philadelphia), and plays two in the heat, including a 4 p.m. start in Philly against Ivory Coast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u22c5 Ecuador (No. 23): <\/b>\u201cLa Tricolor\u201d has a decent shot to advance out of group play for the second time in five attempts, but the conditions won\u2019t be easy. Ecuador plays hot-weather matches in Philly, Kansas City, and New York, the latter of which is a 4 p.m. start, and its training city of Columbus, Ohio, is no breeze during the summer, either.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u22c5 Austria <\/b>(No. 24): <\/b>FIFA is sending Austria, which hasn\u2019t advanced out of group play since 1954, on a bit of a barnstorming tour in its first World Cup in 28 years. \u201cDas Team\u201d will train in Santa Barbara, Calif., and play matches in San Francisco, Dallas, and Kansas City. The flights aren\u2019t crazy long, but it\u2019s more travel and time zones than most teams have to deal with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Ranking World Cup favorites: Why these eight teams can win it all (and why they won\u2019t)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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