The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico on June 11. On June 12, So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles will host the tournament’s first match on US soil. With daily highs ranging from 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 84 degrees, Los Angeles has some of the best World Cup weather in all USA host cities. Teams and fans will get just enough heat and sunshine for comfort, and players can battle it out on an even, well-regulated pitch.

However, throughout the FIFA tournament, summer rain, soaring temperatures, high humidity, and potential lightning strikes could cause delays or other problems. Learn how stadium roofs can impact match conditions.

The Impact of World Cup Weather in USA Host Cities

The United States hasn’t been a FIFA World Cup host since 1994. While FIFA rotates hosting rights to support global interest, it also prioritizes locations with longstanding football cultures and traditions. USA stadiums are primarily designed for gridiron football or multi-purpose use rather than soccer only. For ease of maintenance and water conservation, many US stadiums also have artificial turf rather than FIFA-regulation grass. Even with retractable roofs, they’re also designed to retain heat rather than release it.

These and other deficiencies have made the USA a less-than-ideal candidate for World Cup hosting. In 2025, the United States hosted a total of 63 matches for the FIFA Club World Cup. Six of these matches were delayed or interrupted due to severe weather. While extreme heat was a key concern, lightning and torrential rain proved most disruptive overall.

Considered a “dress rehearsal” for the 2026 tournament, the Club World Cup revealed many climate-change-driven weather concerns. A June 17 match in Orlando, FL was held up for more than an hour due to potential lightning. On June 18, a match in Cincinnati, OH experienced a one-hour and 37-minute delay. Matches on June 20 (Orlando, FL) and June 28 (Charlotte, NC) experienced two-hour delays.

Read more: Managing the Heat and Humidity at the World Cup

Open-Air vs. Covered Stadiums

In 2025, FIFA president Gianni Infantino drew heat when stating that the tournament would only use covered stadiums in 2026. Only four stadiums throughout the 11 USA host cities have covered or retractable roofs. Despite Infantino’s assertion, many of the tournament’s 78 matches in the U.S. will be played in open-air stadiums.

Season timing is a key difference between gridiron football and international football. The NFL starts its season in September and ends it in early January. This is why many USA host stadiums designed for NFL teams trap heat and block cold precipitation. They’re meant to keep fans and players warm rather than ensuring airflow, humidity release, and the health of natural grass.

Climate Control and Safety

Closed and retractable roofs provide the best level of climate control and safety during FIFA matches in predominantly hot climates. High-end stadiums can pair closed roofs with air conditioning to keep fans and players cool.

Airflow and Humidity Control

Although coverage via closed or retractable roofs offers many benefits, it also has potential drawbacks. Closing gridiron stadiums to block heat will trap it instead, requiring constant AC use. This has led to short-term cost concerns.

Unfortunately, there are also humidity challenges. The addition of FIFA-regulation grass adds moisture to the air. With retractable roofs closed, this moisture has nowhere to go. Stadiums with closed or retractable roofs are planning to run ACs nonstop while additionally using integrated “air-drying” systems for additional humidity control. Only time will tell how this works out.

Ease of Pitch Maintenance

FIFA requires natural grass or approved, hybrid grass systems for all World Cup matches. Both closed and retractable roofs make pitch maintenance easier by shielding natural grass from harsh weather conditions and unpredictable weather events. Closed roofs offer consistent growing conditions, and retractable roofs allow field tenders to adjust in-stadium conditions as needed to ensure grass health.

So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles has a large, translucent canopy that blocks 65% of sunlight. Although this is ideal for players and fans, it has made growing and maintaining natural grass per FIFA regulations a real challenge. As a result, So-Fi Stadium is using a specialized, hybrid system that consists of 90% natural grass and 10% synthetic hybrid turf.

Pitch maintenance reduces the risk of injuries by preventing uneven ground and holes. It also allows for consistent ball roll rather than unpredictable “bobbles”. In closed stadiums, players can flex their passing and technical skills without their actions being obstructed by uneven turf.

Atmosphere and Noise Control

In the USA, closed stadiums don’t just trap heat. They also trap sound. Closed roofs act as echo chambers. During an intense match, noise levels in closed stadiums can range between 90 and 120 decibels (dB). In an open stadium, noise levels often top out at 80 dB.

Heightened noise can cause psychological stress for players. It can also force them to rely solely on visual signals.

Weather Protection

Closed or retractable roofs can protect fans and players from late-spring and summer rains, but they won’t stop games from being suspended due to lightning threats. As per FIFA regulations, whenever there’s the threat of lightning within a 10-mile radius, games must be suspended. Lightning threats trigger mandatory 30-minute delays, even for closed stadiums. Factors like high seating decks, tall light posts, and large parking lots make them dangerous to be in.

Which USA FIFA Stadiums Have Closed Roofs?

The top stadium roofs for FIFA matches in the USA are the roofs at:

• SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles)
• NRG Stadium (Houston)
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• AT&T Stadium (Dallas)

So-Fi Stadium, with its massive awning, offers heat and sun shielding along with adequate, natural ventilation. It also offers noise control. Lacking a fully closed roof, So-Fi Stadium doesn’t have a natural echo chamber.

NRG Stadium in Houston is a premier climate-controlled venue with a retractable roof. It offers a consistent playing environment and has sufficient adaptability for ongoing pitch maintenance.

The aperture-style roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium opens and closes like a camera lens diaphragm. This roof can fully open or close within just eight minutes as weather and game conditions require.

With its retractable roof, the AT&T Stadium in Dallas will help players and fans manage the Dallas heat. However, this is also a location where humidity management in light of newly installed grass could prove problematic.