This summer’s World Cup is expected to be one of the hottest in history with many experts saying that it’ll surpass even the 1994 event. One particular source of criticism is the playing of the final at 3 in the afternoon in mid-July in an outdoor stadium that’s situated just outside New York City.

But just how hot might the World Cup weather conditions be in the 16 venues that’ll be used, and are there any cooler WC cities? Also, which of these stadiums will be climate-controlled with roofs protecting everyone?

Atlanta

Summer temperatures in Atlanta can get steamy with average highs reaching 90 degrees to go with 74% humidity. However, those playing in and attending games in Atlanta don’t have to worry about that as Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a retractable roof and is climate-controlled.

Boston

Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., has no roof, so everyone at World Cup matches there will be exposed to the elements. While not nearly as hot as other places in the country in the summer, an average day in July here is 83 degrees with 70% humidity.

Dallas

Dallas gets steamy in the summers with average high temperatures reaching 97 degrees to go with 60% humidity. But AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is one of the World Cup venues with a retractable roof, so conditions at matches will be pleasant.

Guadalajara

Games at uncovered Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico, may get wet as rainy season is starting when the World Cup takes place. In the Guadalajara metropolitan area in June, the average high is 86, the average humidity is 63%, and the total rainfall is 7 inches. Also note its elevation (5,200 feet), which keeps those temperatures from climbing even higher.

Houston

Houston is one of the most challenging places in the country climate-wise with an average July day reaching 95 degrees with 74% humidity. But this is another situation in which that won’t be a problem as NRG Stadium’s a climate-controlled venue with a retractable roof.

Kansas City

Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is open to the elements, so that city’s weather conditions are important to note, especially since a quarterfinal will be played here on July 11. Specifically, an average July day in KC will get to 88 degrees with 67% humidity.

Los Angeles

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., is a different type of stadium. While it does have a roof, its sides are open, meaning that air is still coming in from outside. However, conditions in this part of Southern California are much more comfortable than is the case elsewhere as its average high temperatures in June and July are 72 and 75 to go with average humidity figures of 76-77%.

Mexico City

The biggest factors impacting Mexico City’s weather this summer are its elevation of 7,400 feet and June and July being early in its rainy season. Those two months, the average high temperatures here are 78 and 77 – yes, July has generally cooler temperatures here than June – while its average humidity then is 64% and 70%. These factors are important since Estadio Azteca is an open-air facility.

Miami

Miami has hot and humid conditions in the summer, an especially important point since it’s hosting a quarterfinal at 5 p.m. local time on July 11 and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., has no roof over its playing surface. Its usual conditions in June and July consist of a high temperature around 90 degrees with 75% humidity. Also, 18 inches of rain combined fall those two months with afternoon thunderstorms common.

Monterrey

Monterrey, Mexico, has very hot summers, as evidenced by its average high temperature in June being 96 degrees to go with 65% humidity. Also, the playing surface at Estadio BBVA in nearby Guadalupe is uncovered, so playing conditions here will be challenging.

New York/New Jersey

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., deserves the closest look as the World Cup final will be played there at 3 p.m. EDT on July 19 and it’s an outdoor venue. Although it’s not as hot in New York City in the summer as it is in the South, note that the average July high temperature here is 85 with an average humidity of 64%.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field is another outdoor facility, and it has a local climate that’s similar to New York, which is just 90 miles away. However, being inland, Philadelphia’s a bit more uncomfortable. An average July day in this city has these conditions: a high temperature of 88 degrees with average humidity of 70%.

San Francisco Bay Area

If Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium was in San Francisco, there would be no heat worries as that city’s average high temperature in June is just 67. However, in Santa Clara, only 45 miles to the south, that figure is 12 degrees warmer at 79 to go with 60% humidity. That’s still a lot more comfortable than most unroofed World Cup venues, however.

Seattle

Seattle has mostly comfortable summers as June and July days have average high temperatures of 71 and 77 degrees with average humidities of 67 and 65%. Plus, the rainfall that this city is famously known for mostly occurs in the autumn and winter as just 1 inch of it is expected in June with another inch falling in July.

Toronto

Toronto should have comfortable conditions for its World Cup matches as an average June day here has a high temperature of 76 with 55% humidity.

Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia, has the best of both worlds as BC Place has a retractable roof and climate-controlled conditions when it’s used while the city’s summer weather is usually comfortable. Here, an average June day has a high of 67 degrees and an average humidity of 62%. It does receive a little more June rainfall than Seattle, but it’s not a lot, about 2 inches that month.

Conclusion

Although there’s a lot of controversy about the weather conditions surrounding this World Cup, many matches will be played in comfortable outdoor facilities or indoor conditions. Conversely, the latter benefit was only available at one venue in 1994: the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.

However, 2026 World Cup games in Miami, Monterrey and a few other places will often take place in uncomfortable conditions while heat waves will exacerbate conditions.