With the World Cup draw set to take place in Washington DC this Friday, fans and businesses have been warned that extreme heat, bad weather and poor air quality could cost them.

There's a lot that the 16 host cities are already planning for ahead of the North American World Cup. Re-vamping stadiums, recruiting staff and bolstering security. But some things are beyond even the most prepared – the weather.

With the tournament taking place across the US, Canada and Mexico in June and July 2026, experts warn that high temperatures, wildfires and even hurricanes could affect teams, fans and stadium workers.

While the safety of everyone on site will be the priority, the knock-on effects of extreme weather could still lead to significant costs for supporters, organisers and local businesses.

A recent report from Pitches in Peril found that 10 of the 16 venues are at "very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions."

There are multiple implications from climate risks, says Maddy Orr, a researcher who studies the impact of climate on professional sport. Based in Toronto – one of the host cities – Orr says the largest cost could be cancelled matches.

"If you were to cancel an event you might have to refund tickets and pay staff who had to come to the site to work."

Delays were a feature of last summer's FIFA Club World Cup – also held in the US – and seen by many as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup. Benfica against Auckland City had its second half kick-off delayed by more than two hours because of heavy rain and storms in Orlando. The start of Mamelodi Sundowns against Ulsan HD, hosted in the same city, was also delayed for over an hour. And there were long pauses in the second halves of Palmeiras v Al-Ahly in New Jersey (40 minutes) and Salzburg v Pachuca in Cincinnati (90 minutes).

We don't know exactly how much delays cost organisers, but as Orr explains "legal liability for events that don't go off as planned could add up to millions per match lost in damages."

Orr says this could be TV broadcast, fan-zone or food vendor contracts. "You might have promised them certain things that can't happen because the event isn't happening, but you'd still be on the hook for that."

Fans travelling to North America are advised to get insurance and read the small print.

Lisa Webb, a senior lawyer and consumer expert at Which? Magazine, says travellers should "check a policy covers what you need it to before you buy, especially cancellations." She adds the caveat that insurance policies work differently depending on the country you are in.

With the possibility of games being rescheduled, Webb highlights flights,........

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