Sustainability Gets a Design Lift in Stadia

Sports arenas are being redesigned keeping in mind a hotter planet

- VAISHALI DAR

Since rising global temperatures due to climate change are impacting sports arenas and the broader sporting world, unpredictable weather, and other climate-related events are creating challenges for athletes, venues, and event organizers. Making sports arenas resilient has prompted FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) to announce that all 2026 World Cup games will be played in covered stadiums.

While learnings from the 2025 Club World Cup in the US have led FIFA to sharply intensify heat-mitigation strategies heading into the 2026 tournament, indoor venues and roofed stadiums will be prioritized for daytime matches, especially in host cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver, which have covered or air-conditioned facilities.