May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers ended their season on Monday night, after getting swept by the Thunder, losing game four 115-110. Without Luka Doncic, the Thunder just had too much firepower for 41-year-old LeBron James and company to handle, and that leads to some very tough questions.
LeBron proved once again that there is absolutely still gas left in the tank, willing the injury-riddled Lakers past the Rockets in round one; however, it’s too early to say where he will be playing basketball at the start of next season.
Of course, James might have played the final game of his illustrious career, but I would be quite shocked if that’s the case. Kalshi really only has three teams with legitimate chances of signing LeBron. There’s a 58% chance he returns to the Lakers or retires, 24% chance he has one last run in Cleveland, and a 12% chance he partners up with Steph Curry in Golden State.
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The final option seems unlikely, and I really only think there are two options for James at this point in his career.
Los Angeles has not seemed all that interested in retaining LeBron. Honestly, since acquiring Luka last year, the franchise’s future has seemed to shift toward building around him.
Would LeBron go back to the Cavs?
Throughout different points this year, LeBron has been at odds with the Lakers organization. I’m unsure the Lakers would be willing to re-sign LeBron at the $52.6 million he made this season. Even if he takes a decently sized pay cut, I don’t think they’ll be able to find enough in free agency to build a contender in the 2026-27 season.
If LeBron wanted to return to Cleveland, he would also need to take a pay cut to make it happen. Cleveland already has the highest payroll in basketball, and if they plan to run it back with James Harden, that will remain the case.
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LeBron could do one thing to open a lot of doors at this point in his career. He could sign a veteran minimum and give himself another chance at a ring. The Players’ Association might not let that happen, or at the very least, would be furious if it occurred. But from LeBron’s point of view, he’s made over a billion in his career through playing and endorsements, would he be willing to join a team like Cleveland for cheap and take them back to the promised land?
Personally, I don’t see a world where he stays in Los Angeles unless he’s that sold on the LA lifestyle. Also, just from a million-foot overview of his career, it just makes more sense for him to finish his playing career back in Cleveland.
Lakers’ fans have never fully bought into LeBron as Cleveland fans did. He is, and will always be, the savior of all Cleveland sports with his 2016 title. Partnering with this iteration of the Cavs to make one more run at the finals feels like a storybook ending to his career. Now might be the perfect time to bet on a return to Cleveland, especially with markets as favorable as this towards his return.
Alex Lasry, CEO of the NYNJ Host Committee, discusses the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in New York and New Jersey. He details plans for free fan experiences across five boroughs and New Jersey, emphasizing public transit solutions for 1.2 million fans. Lasry confirms real grass will be installed at MetLife Stadium for the event, highlighting the global excitement for this major sporting event.
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Citizens of a select group of countries who have purchased tickets to this summer’s World Cup matches in the U.S. will no longer be required to provide thousands of dollars in visa bonds to enter the country and attend the tournament.
On Wednesday, the State Department confirmed the Trump administration is waiving a prior mandate requiring visitors from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia to post visa bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the U.S.
The department imposed the bond requirement last year for countries it said had high rates of visa overstays and other security concerns as part of a broader immigration crackdown. Travelers from at least 50 countries are subject to the bond requirement, but the five aforementioned nations’ teams have qualified for this year’s World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed outside the White House in Washington, D.C., ahead of the FIFA World Cup Draw on Dec. 2, 2025.(Michael Regan/FIFA/Getty Images)
World Cup team players, coaches and some staff already had been exempt from the bond requirement as part of the administration’s orders to prioritize the processing of visas for the tournament.
“The United States is excited to organize the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history,” Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said. “We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets” and opted in to the FIFA Pass system that allows expedited visa appointments as of April 15.
In its own statement, FIFA said the announcement shows “our ongoing collaboration with the U.S. government and the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup to deliver a successful, record-breaking and unforgettable global event” and thanked the administration for the partnership.
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President Donald Trump draws the United States card during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025.(Michael Regan/FIFA via Getty Images)
However, the administration has barred travelers from Iran and Haiti, though World Cup players, coaches and other support personnel are exempt. Travelers from the Ivory Coast and Senegal face partial restrictions under an expanded version of that travel ban, even without the visa bond exemption.
The World Cup begins June 11 and is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Some measures from the administration prompted Amnesty International and dozens of U.S. civil and human rights groups to issue a “World Cup travel advisory” that warns travelers about the climate in the U.S.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino hands the FIFA World Cup Winners Trophy to President Donald Trump during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 22, 2025.(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
In a report this month, the main advocacy group for U.S. hotels blamed visa barriers and other geopolitical issues for “significantly suppressing international demand,” leading to hotel bookings for the soccer tournament that are far below what had initially been anticipated.
As of early April, the number of World Cup fans affected by the bond requirement was believed to be relatively small, perhaps only about 250 people, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. But they said that number was changing rapidly as more people buy tickets and some with tickets opt against traveling.
FIFA had requested the waiver, which had to be approved by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, officials said.
Naoya Inoue recently cemented his status as one of, if not the, best pound-for-pound fighters in the world with a win over countryman Junto Nakatani. The question is, can anybody beat him before he hangs up the gloves?
With retirement not too far in the distance, the two-division undisputed champion intends to tackle one more weight class before he calls time on a Hall of Fame campaign. Ready and willing at 126lbs is Brooklyn’s Bruce Carrington.
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Speaking to ES News, the WBC Featherweight champion said that watching the Nakatani fight only strengthened his belief that he is the man to beat ‘The Monster’.
“To be honest, I saw a lot of things that I can’t really say on here. I’ve been ready. Inoue is still a spectacular fighter, but I just know I have what it takes to beat him. Nakatani’s no slouch. I expected a good fight … he did what he needed to do to win.”
‘Shu Shu’, who won the vacant title against Carlos Castro in January and will return to the ring to defend it against Rene Palacios in July, then said that he will take the Inoue fight whenever it is offered.
“100%. I’m ready right now, I’m ready today, I’m ready tomorrow, I’m ready whenever. Come to the Shu Shu show, baby. I can’t wait to share the ring with you. It’s gonna be fireworks.”
Inoue has made his plans clear – fight once more at super-bantamweight, most likely against Jesse Rodriguez, and then move up to featherweight, which he has indicated will be the final challenge of his career. While he hasn’t mentioned Carrington by name, the 33-year-old says he wants to go straight for the belts.
As a long-reigning champion and pound-for-pound star moving up in weight, the sanctioning bodies would likely have no issue approving the opportunity.
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Many fans, however, will believe that ‘Bam’ Rodriguez can upset those plans. The 26-year-old is set to move up to bantamweight to challenge for Antonio Vargas’ WBA title with a view to then making the Inoue fight happen in early 2027.
James Harden #1 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on against the Detroit Pistons during overtime in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP (
DETROIT— James Harden scored a playoff-best 30 points and Donovan Mitchell had 21, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers come back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Pistons led by 15 points in the first half and 103-94 with two-plus minutes left. The Cavs rallied and pulled into a 103-all tie on Evan Mobley’s free throws with 45.2 seconds left.
Cleveland went on a 13-0 run and held Detroit scoreless for five minutes from late in fourth quarter to midway through overtime. The Cavs went ahead by seven with 2:39 left in OT on Mitchell’s 3-pointer.
Cade Cunningham, who had 39 points and nine assists, made a jumper to pull the Pistons within two points with 25 seconds left.
Harden made one free throw on the ensuing possession and rebounded his missed second attempt. He made another free throw to help seal the win.
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James Harden BALLED OUT in Game 5:
30 PTS8 REB6 AST3 BLK3 3PM
Cavs can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win on Friday at 7:00pm/et on Prime 😤 pic.twitter.com/XKrFpIsyh4
Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland, where the fourth-seeded Cavs will get the first of two chances to advance to face the New York Knicks in the East finals.
If the top-seeded Pistons win, they will host Game 7 on Sunday.
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Cleveland won the first road game of the series — and its first as a visitor this postseason.
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The Pistons had won four straight games at home since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in Game 5 of the first round.
Harden had eight rebounds and six assists. Max Strus made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Cavs, Mobley added 19 points and Jarrett Allen had 16 points and nine rebounds.
Starting in place of the injured Duncan Robinson, Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points for the Pistons. Tobias Harris missed 13 of 19 shots and scored 13 points, and Jalen Duren was limited to nine points and five rebounds.
Mitchell was held to single digits in the first half for the second straight game, and couldn’t repeat his performance after halftime in Game 4. He was in pain after turning his right ankle in the first half.
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Mitchell tied an NBA playoff record with 39 points in the second half and scored 43 points to help the Cavs rally to win Game 4.
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The Pistons started the second quarter shooting 8 of 8 to take a 15-point lead.
Cunningham made a sixth 3-pointer, setting a career playoff high, and Jenkins connected from beyond the arc with 5:25 left in regulation to give Detroit a six-point lead and cap a 10-0 run that wasn’t enough the seal the win in regulation.
The road to ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov on Prime Video runs through the scale. Before the world’s greatest martial artists can throw down at Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, May 15, they must clear one final hurdle.
Every athlete who is scheduled for action must successfully weigh in and pass their hydration tests to ensure they’re healthy and ready to compete at their absolute best.
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Fans can watch the official ONE Fight Night 43 Weigh-Ins & Hydration Tests by clicking the video below beginning at 6 a.m. ET / 5 p.m. ICT on Thursday, May 14.
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In the main event, reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai will put his 26 pounds of gold on the line against Dagestani contender Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov.
Tang, who is China’s first male MMA World Champion, carries a 19-3 record into the contest and has demolished every featherweight competitor who has stood across from him in the squared circle.
But when he steps into the ring in U.S. primetime this Friday, he will meet Gasanov. The Dagestani sensation has been near-flawless in his career. He owns an 18-1 slate and rides a five-bout winning streak, capped by a unanimous decision victory over Garry Tonon – the very man who handed him his only career defeat. One more triumph will give “The Cobra” his sweetest win to date.
In addition, ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis will make his bantamweight debut and Muay Thai contender Aslamjon Ortikov will look to keep his perfect record intact.
Check out the complete lineup for ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov below.
Full Card For ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov
Tang Kai vs. Shamil Gasanov (ONE Featherweight MMA World Championship)
Petchtanong Petchfergus vs. Ben Woolliss (Kickboxing – Bantamweight)
Diogo Reis vs. Yuki Takahashi (Submission Grappling – Bantamweight)
Aslamjon Ortikov vs. Jordan Estupinan (Muay Thai – Flyweight)
Yosuke Saruta vs. Fabio Henrique (MMA – Strawweight)
Felipe Lobo vs. Nontachai Jitmuangnon (Muay Thai – Bantamweight)
Eko Roni Saputra vs. Lito Adiwang (MMA – Bantamweight)
Luo Chao vs. Denis Souza Jr. (Kickboxing – Featherweight)
Johanna Persson vs. Martyna Dominczak (Muay Thai – Women’s Atomweight)
Related video: Derek McInnes is confident Hearts players can handle title pressure
Hearts boss Derek McInnes described the controversial last-minute penalty awarded to Celtic to take the Scottish Premiership title race down to the final day as “disgusting”.
Hearts, bidding to win a first league title since 1960, were on course to take a three-point advantage and a superior goal difference to Celtic Park for a final day shoot-out after beating Falkirk 3-0.
Celtic, though, kept the title in their hands as Kelechi Iheanacho’s 99th-minute penalty secured a 3-2 win at Motherwell, but in highly dubious circumstances as Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson was ruled to have handled.
Nicholson, though, appeared to have headed the ball away and it left McInnes feeling it was “us against everybody” in the title race. “It’s such a bad decision,” McInnes said. “It is quite disgusting, to be honest.”
Former England striker Gary Lineker agreed, posting on X: “This might be the worst VAR decision I’ve seen (and there’s a lot of competition). Extraordinary given the significance.”
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Hearts can still win the title if they avoid defeat at Celtic on Saturday, while the hosts need to win to claim a 14th title in 15 years and momentum is on their side after six wins in a row.
Jens Berthel Askou on ‘unreal moment’ penalty was given
Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou was as enraged over the penalty decision as Derek McInnes.
“I think the big question is, what are we even doing here, when things like that happen? I’m in total shock. I thought I’d seen it all this year, but apparently I haven’t. It’s shocking, it’s a shame for the game.
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“Let’s say he actually did touch his hands, which I can’t see, no matter what angle I look at… Also, you can see the way the ball gets power, where the kid connects with the head and has a lot of power when it goes through. It’s a crazy thing to be part of, and I think the game deserved a lot better than that.”
(Getty)
Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 05:34
Derek McInnes on controversial penalty: ‘Us against everybody’
“It feels like us against everybody. When you see the two [decisions] that we didn’t get at the weekend and then you see that… How they can arrive at that situation? Celtic have a touch, more than a touch, of fortune in getting that penalty. I’m getting more and more dismayed at some of the decisions that our referees are coming up with.
“It’s such a bad decision. Motherwell must feel totally aggrieved with it. I had to keep looking at it. thought I was missing something when I was watching it. I had to ask, what am I looking for here? It’s actually quite disgusting.”
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(PA)
Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 04:34
Derek McInnes on Celtic: ‘They deserve a lot of credit’
“I think Martin [O’Neill] deserves a lot of credit, because they’re on such a good run of form.
“Us and Celtic have been the best teams over the last wee while. Obviously we’ve been top of the league for a long time, but like any true champion, there’s a pride there and you can see that. I think what Martin’s done is made Celtic more of a team than individuals.
“I thought that looking at the Old Firm game at the weekend and I think that comes from the manager. So sometimes in life you’ve just got to go and beat the champion again and take what you want to be yours, whether it’s boxing or any sort of sport.
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“So that’s what it looks like we’re gonna have to do. We don’t need to win, but certainly need to get down there and put in a performance, and it’s set up perfectly.”
Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 03:34
‘“I’d heard there was a penalty – I didn’t need to ask who for
Derek McInnes on feeling “flat” at full-time despite Hearts going into the final day at the top of the table.
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“It’s hard not to feel that everybody felt a bit flat and it wasn’t your normal final home game.
“I’d heard there was a 96th minute penalty… I didn’t need to ask who for, and it was going to VAR. Obviously it’s Celtic who have scored.”
Jamie Braidwood14 May 2026 02:34
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A 90-minute final
The last time two opponents went head-to-head for the title on the final day of the season was 1991, when Rangers beat Aberdeen at Ibrox.
Who will triumph in 2026?
Mike Jones14 May 2026 01:34
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Shankland’s thoughts on title race
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland stopped by BBC Sportsound and spoke about the title race.
He said: “We were fully prepared for going to Celtic Park at the weekend and needing a result. Obviously we were aware the situation could have changed but all that was in our heads was to win tonight and go again at the weekend.
“We’ve been there and won a couple of times during my time as a Hearts player. We go there confident and we’ve been top of the league all season.
“It’s a 90-minute cup final, it’s as simple as that. If you offered us that at the start of the season we would have taken it all day.
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“It’s going to be two teams looking to go for it and going for a title and it’ll be exciting for everyone.”
(PA)
Mike Jones14 May 2026 00:34
Hearts unbeaten against Celtic
This season Hearts have been in the type of form that wins league titles. They are now just 90 minutes away from securing a historic win but it is Celtic who stand in their way.
But, Hearts are unbeaten against the defending champions this season, winning two of the three meetings, including a 2-1 triumph at Celtic Park in December.
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Mike Jones13 May 2026 23:54
‘Worst VAR decision ever’: Hearts rage at ‘disgusting’ Celtic penalty call which keeps title race alive
Hearts boss Derek McInnes slammed a “disgusting” late penalty awarded to Celtic on Wednesday night – which stretched a dramatic Scottish Premiership title race to the final day.
Hearts, eyeing their first title in 66 years, had one hand on the trophy after their 3-0 win over Falkirk, with Celtic drawing 2-2 away at Motherwell. If it ended that way, Celtic would have needed to win by six goals or more in their final day showdown on Saturday to win the title.
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Kieran Jackson13 May 2026 23:48
Celtic will get the job done
Former Celtic defender, Darren O’Dea, spoke about his old club’s chances of winning the title on Saturday and told BBC Radio Scotland:
“I don’t think Celtic will blow Hearts away by any means but I do think they will get the job done.
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“The energy from the crowd will be through the roof.”
Mike Jones13 May 2026 23:45
Celtic now favourites for title
With Celtic only being one point behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table it’s all or nothing in the final match of the season this Saturday.
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The two title rivals face off against each other at Celtic Park and it is the Hoops who are the favourites to win the game and the league with bookers.
Celtic are 4/6 favourites to pip Hearts to the post and it’ll be a fascinating encounter.
Hearts only need to avoid defeat while Celtic need to win but with a home crowd backing them, Celtic probably do have a slight advantage.
On paper, Nelly Korda’s 2026 season almost doesn’t seem real.
In her first six starts, Korda has three wins and three runner-up finishes. Because two of the second-place results came in Hyo Joo Kim victories, Korda has more wins in 2026 than there are players who have finished ahead of her (Solheim Cup teammate Lauren Coughlin, in Las Vegas, is the other).
Korda’s sprint back to the top of the Rolex World Rankings has her rubbing shoulders with legends. She is one of just two players since 1980 to start an LPGA season with six consecutive top-2 finishes, joining Annika Sorenstam (2001). Sorenstam won eight times that season.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Korda is the first player since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to win an LPGA tournament by four strokes or more in back-to-back weeks. Her victory in Mexico was the 18th of her LPGA career, making her the youngest American player to reach that benchmark since Nancy Lopez in 1980.
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The rare air Korda now breathes is reserved for all-timers. So, what is separating her from her peers? Where does she gain her greatest advantages on the field?
Let’s break down what has made Nelly Korda so hard to beat.
Approach play (especially from the rough)
Korda’s angle of attack with her irons is vital to her success, especially this season. When missing the fairway off the tee on par-4s and 5s this year, Korda has gone on to hit the green in regulation at a rate of 68.0%. Not only is that the highest rate on Tour among qualified players, the gap between her and her peers is enormous. Every player not named Nelly Korda is hitting the green in that situation just 51.8% of the time.
That aspect of Korda’s iron play has led to the most impressive strokes gained approach numbers of her career. From 2022 through the 2025 season, Nelly averaged 0.35 strokes gained approach per round. She gained strokes with her approach play in 62.8% of her overall rounds and gained at least a full stroke in 32.7% of them. This season, Korda is on another planet when it comes to this metric. She leads the LPGA in strokes gained approach, gaining a whopping 1.97 per round. She’s gained strokes with her approach play in all but one round — and gained a stroke or more 83.3% of the time.
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Over the previous three seasons, players on the LPGA Tour gained three or more strokes with their approach play in about 4% of overall rounds played. In 2025, Nelly is doing that at a staggering 22% clip.
Short-game prowess
On the relatively rare occasion that Korda has missed the green in regulation this season, her short game has been brilliant. She is getting up-and-down at a 75.0% clip so far in 2026, the best rate of any player on the LPGA. What was once a bit of a weakness in her statistical profile has now joined her array of elite skills: As recently as 2022, Korda ranked outside the top-100 in scrambling percentage. Last season, she ranked 55th (57.7%).
Korda’s bunker play has been a big reason in the improvement. From 2022 through 2025, she ranked anywhere from 72nd to 138th on the LPGA in sand save percentage. Through her win in Mexico, she’s 11-for-16 saving par from greenside bunkers, good for the third-best rate on Tour.
All of this has helped forge one of her most impressive statistical feats in 2026: a bogey or worse percentage of 7.97%. Not only is that the lowest rate on the LPGA, it’s also more than 4 full percentage points better than anyone else. Haeran Ryu and Miyu Yamashita are tied for second lowest, at 12.26%. Korda made just seven bogeys combined in her back-to-back wins in Houston and Mexico.
Korda already has six bogey-free rounds this season, tied with Chizzy Iwai for most on the LPGA Tour. She had just four all of last season and didn’t record her second of the season until October.
Par-5 dominance
Korda’s length off the tee has always provided her a greater ability to take advantage of scoring opportunities on par-5s. In her 18 LPGA wins, she is a combined 160 under par on par-5s. In each of the previous five seasons, she’s ranked either first or second on the Tour that season in par-5 performance.
Yet somehow, in 2026, Korda has found a way to be even more dominant on par 5s. She has ranked in the top-5 in the field in par-5 scoring in all six of her starts. She did that in just four tournaments all of last season — when she tied for the best par-5 scoring average on the LPGA Tour! Korda currently averages a preposterous 4.34 strokes per par-5 played, a full tenth of a stroke better than anyone else and nearly three-tenths of a stroke better than the LPGA average.
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Korda was double-digits under par on par-5s in just two tournaments all last season. This year she already has done that four times in six starts.
Korda will enter this week’s event, the Kroger Queen City Championship, with a season scoring average of 68.04. Per Elias, that’s the second-best scoring average for any player through the first 23 rounds of a specific season going back to 1980. Only Ochoa in 2008 (67.87) has had a better scoring start to a year.
What we are witnessing this season from Nelly Korda is a brilliant athlete at the peak of her craft.
Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius scores a contentious goal in stoppage-time against Everton to secure a 1-0 win at the Emirates. The victory moves Arsenal into second place in the WSL ahead of the final day of the season.
A popular AEW star has finally made their return to the company earlier tonight on Dynamite following a brief absence. They have now set their sights on a top name on the roster.
Mark Briscoe has become one of the fan-favorites within the promotion, and his great charisma helps with this. He has been on a brief absence since early March, reportedly due to an injury. The nature of the injury was not disclosed, nor was a recovery timeline given.
Earlier tonight on AEW Dynamite, the Conglomeration was backstage as they spoke about their future plans. The group has earned themselves a tag team title shot after Orange Cassidy defeated Dax Harwood during their Double Jeopardy match last week. It will be Cassidy and Roderick Strong who will be challenging for the belts.
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Kyle O’Reilly, on the other hand, has set his sights on Jon Moxley and his AEW Continental title. He noted how he had his number and was ready for a rematch. As for Willow Nightingale, she is the TBS Champion and one of the entrants in this year’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. She looks to come away with two belts after the tournament ends.
After all of this, Orange Cassidy brought up how they should bring back their Word of the Day tradition. Before anything could be done, Roderick Strong shouted Mark Briscoe’s name, and in came the former TNT Champion. This was his first AEW appearance since March 11, when he teamed up with the Young Bucks to take on FTR and Tommaso Ciampa.
Briscoe then said the word of the day, before taking time to challenge Tommaso Ciampa to a match for next week. They have some unsettled business, and the Sussex County Chicken wanted payback after Ciampa turned on him a few months ago. It seems that all members of the Conglomeration will be busy for the rest of this month.
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England supporters heading to Texas for next month’s World Cup opener against Croatia are among those most vulnerable to health complications stemming from extreme heat, academics have cautioned.
While the AT&T Stadium in Arlington boasts air-conditioning, offering protection to players and spectators inside the venue from soaring temperatures, the primary concern lies outside.
The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group of academics has specifically highlighted the climate’s impact on fans travelling to matches, queuing for entry, and attending outdoor fan festivals.
WWA research indicates a one in three probability of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) surpassing 28 degrees Celsius in Dallas for the England match on 17 June, among other fixtures.
The WBGT is an index measuring the body’s ability to cool itself, with the world players’ union FIFPRO recommending match postponements when this figure exceeds 28 degrees.
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Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, where England play their first World Cup match against Croatia on 17 June 2026 (Getty)
Overall, WWA anticipates nine of the 104 matches will be played above 26 degrees, a threshold where FIFPRO advises safety measures, with approximately five expected to exceed 28 degrees.
Dr Chris Millington, from Imperial College London, believes the greatest danger is posed to spectators, despite players being elite athletes capable of adapting their exertion.
He explained: “They’re more medically diverse, maybe older or very young. They may have cardiovascular disease, kidney or metabolic disease. They may be taking medications that affect heat tolerance and they may be unacclimatised visitors.”
He further elaborated on the prolonged exposure fans face: “They may also be exposed for much longer than the match itself, walking to the stadium, queuing in direct sun, attending fan zones, sitting in exposed seats and travelling home on crowded transport.
“People who have got medical comorbidities, such as heart disease, will go into that situation. They’ll probably not hydrate very well the night before. They might not sleep very well the night before, and then they might have some beer during the day. And gradually they’ll get hotter and hotter and hotter. They probably won’t put wear a hat.”
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He continued: “They may wear their sports shirt, or, as they sometimes do, they might be not wearing a top, and exposing themselves to those risks as well, and then what happens is, someone who has got that blocked coronary suddenly finds they’re dehydrated and they’re pushing all their blood flow to their skin, and suddenly not enough blood flow is going to their heart, and they suffer a heart attack that they wouldn’t have suffered were they not in that situation.”
Fifa has not publicly disclosed a WBGT threshold that would trigger match postponement.
However, it has implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half at every match this summer as a player welfare measure.
Dr Millington suggested these breaks are insufficient to mitigate the heat’s impact on players, advocating for a longer half-time interval. He also noted that efforts to reduce risks for players could inadvertently increase spectator risk by extending the overall match-going experience.
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Fifa have been urged to reconsider the timings of future World Cups (Getty)
Looking ahead, Dr Friederike Otto, Professor of Climate Science at Imperial College London, suggested Fifa should reconsider the timing of future World Cups.
“It would definitely be advisable to have these either earlier in the year or later in the year to have the ability to have a football party and not something that is a massive health risk,” Dr Otto stated.
A Fifa spokesperson confirmed that a tiered heat mitigation model would be in place for this summer’s finals when temperatures exceed defined thresholds.
In such circumstances, “spectators will be permitted to bring one factory-sealed water bottle, and venues will activate additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses and expanded water distribution”, the spokesperson said.
Fifa has also developed a medical protocol for exertional heat illness in players, featuring bespoke cooling bags for immediate treatment by trained match doctors.
;)
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