Stadium workers at the World Cup are enduring extreme heat without the breaks and resources provided to players. Concerns center on cities including Atlanta, where temperatures reached 93 degrees during a recent match. FIFA has outlined mitigation steps but workers' advocates say more is needed.
Extreme heat has affected multiple World Cup host cities under a recent dome over eastern North America. Workers selling concessions, cleaning stadiums, and handling security or parking lots lack access to shade, water, and rest periods that players receive.
Lucia Gambino of the Sur Legal Collaborative in Atlanta reported seeing workers visibly affected by the heat during Tuesday's Argentina versus Egypt match. She noted the irony that FIFA provides protections for athletes but not equivalently for staff. Gambino's group distributed supplies including cooling towels to those in need.
FIFA described a tiered heat mitigation model that includes added cooling capacity, water distribution, and adapted work-rest cycles when temperatures rise. The organization also maintains a heat illness mitigation task force. An Atlanta stadium group said the enclosed venue reduced heat impacts compared to other sites.
The tournament's spread across three countries and varying state regulations complicate uniform policies, according to researchers. Atlanta is scheduled to host a semifinal on July 15, with highs expected in the upper 80s. Advocates called for FIFA to require stronger worker protections in host agreements.
