Morten Thorsby, a Norway international who earned his 30th cap in 2020, is best known on the pitch for his defensive midfield grit and off it for founding the climate‑focused movement We Play Green. The 34‑year‑old’s advocacy has now taken a new direction: an open letter addressed to FIFA that calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the tournament’s heat‑management rules.
A Call for Change
The letter, signed by Thorsby and a group of fellow professionals, underscores warnings from medical experts about “worrying levels of heat stress” that could jeopardize player welfare. Researchers have projected that 14 of the 16 host cities will experience temperatures that push wet‑bulb globe readings above 90 °F (32 °C), with Monterrey, Mexico, and Miami, United States, among the hottest spots.
Among the concrete demands are six‑minute cooling breaks for athletes during matches and the provision of better‑equipped locker rooms that can maintain safe temperatures. The signatories argue that the current framework, which includes only three‑minute hydration pauses and climate‑controlled benches for staff and substitutes, falls short of the standards required in a warming world.
FIFA has already acknowledged the issue, establishing a Heat Illness Mitigation and Management Task Force and integrating climate considerations into the match schedule. The governing body has introduced 3‑minute hydration breaks and installed climate‑controlled benches for support personnel, but officials concede that these steps are only a starting point.
The upcoming tournament, slated to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will test whether football’s governing body can translate expert advice into actionable policy. Thorsby’s initiative reflects a growing intersection of sport, environmental stewardship and player safety that could reshape how global events address climate‑related health risks.