France will take on Paraguay, Brazil will take on Norway, and all the World Cup players and fans on much of the East Coast will take on the extreme heat this Fourth of July weekend.
Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees over the coming days, as high pressure traps the scorching temperatures in a heat dome, spanning from the Gulf Coast, up through the Midwest and Northeast United States. Cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Richmond, Virginia, could reach record-breaking temperatures over the holiday weekend.
The heat dome comes just as the knockout stage of the World Cup unfolds throughout 11 American cities, including several affected by the intense heat. The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for Philadelphia from Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., as Paraguay and France are set to compete in a 5 p.m. Round of 16 game on Saturday.
Likewise, in Kansas City, Missouri, Ghana and Colombia will face off in their Round of 32 game at 8:30 p.m. local time Friday, while the city is still under its own extreme heat warning from the National Weather Service.
FIFA, which operates the World Cup games, told NPR that it has installed air-conditioning units on the benches for the players and team staff, will add an extra hydration break per half to each game, and will allow each fan to bring one sealed water bottle into the stadiums.
For the 2026 World Cup games, FIFA initiated a mandatory, three-minute hydration break per half. In response to the heat dome, the two additional hydration breaks will bring the time spent pausing the games for the players to drink water up to 12 minutes. The Round of 16 knockout stage matches will occur from Saturday through Tuesday.
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The heat dome also comes during the United States’s 250th anniversary celebrations, as millions of people are expected to be outside for fireworks, parades, and barbecues across each city affected by the scorching temperatures.
In Washington alone, there is a parade, several fireworks shows, and a military flyover on the National Mall with a speech from President Donald Trump scheduled to take place outdoors.