World Cup player signs petition calling for protection from extreme heat

Norway midfielder Morten Thorsby says "everybody in football loses" if Fifa does not do more to protect players from extreme heat at this summer's World Cup.

Thorsby is among a group of current and former professional footballers who have written to football's world governing body, external calling for stronger heat protocols before the expanded tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.

The letter backs concerns raised last week by leading scientists and medical experts, who warned that Fifa's current heat safety measures should be strengthened and will risk player safety.

Thorsby, who plays for Italian Serie A club Cremonese and has campaigned on climate issues in football for more than a decade, says the issue is about more than player welfare.

"It's also a message to Fifa - they have to do more to take care of people and the planet," the 30 year-old told BBC Sport.

"They have a huge responsibility and they're not doing enough in terms of how big their impact and their influence is."

Thorsby is expected to feature at the World Cup after Norway qualified for the first time in 28 years.

Heat is predicted to be an issue, with researchers warning that temperatures at 14 of the 16 stadiums being used could exceed dangerous levels.

Fifa has said it has enhanced heat protocols for the tournament, including mandatory three-minute cooling breaks in every half of every match, regardless of the conditions.

A spokesperson said: "Fifa is committed to protecting the health and safety of players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff."

But the players' letter says Fifa should go further, supporting calls from medical experts for stronger protections, including longer cooling breaks and clearer protocols for delaying or postponing games in extreme conditions.

"For the players, it's an obvious problem of heat impacting the performance. Obviously the intensity of the game goes down," Thorsby said.

"There are dangers related to heat-related problems, but it's also a huge problem for the spectators.

"Football is also an entertainment industry. The spectacle and the show and the sport loses its value if the players are not able to perform at their best.

"Everybody in football loses by not tackling this."

The letter has been signed by players past and present from across the men's and women's game, including Italy defender Elena Linari, former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha and Ipswich town forward Chuba Akpom.

"We need more high-profile players to join this debate," Thorsby said.

"The more profiled and the more attention you have, the more difficult it is to speak up because you know how much attention it creates."

Thorsby founded the We Play Green foundation to encourage more footballers to engage with climate and environmental issues.

"I know that the players are scared - they're concerned about opinions of people. So that's an obstacle that we need to overcome," he said.

"Football players are the most influential people on the planet.

"If we could gather momentum among the players, getting them to speak up about these issues, we could really accelerate the green shift and the sustainability within football.

"When you have this voice, you have it because you're good at what you're doing - playing football - which is a privilege.

"We're not special. We're lucky."

BBC Sport has contacted Fifa for a response to the players' letter.

Fifa has previously said it is committed to protecting the health and safety of players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff at the World Cup.

As well as introducing mandatory cooling breaks, it said scheduling, stadium selection and operational planning have taken climate conditions into account.

The players' letter also calls on Fifa to take "serious climate action" and drop fossil fuel sponsors.

Fifa's global partners include Aramco, the Saudi Arabia state-owned energy company and the world's largest oil company, which signed a four-year global partnership with the governing body in 2024.

A Fifa spokesperson said it remains "committed to ensuring that its partnerships contribute to the long-term development of the game and to broader social and environmental objectives".

They added: "Fifa will reinvest nearly 90% of the projected $14 bn revenue for the 2027–30 cycle back into the global game.

"This record level of reinvestment helps ensure football can be organised and developed in more than 100 countries where it would otherwise not be possible - underpinned by commercial partnerships, including those with global partners such as Aramco."

Aramco declined to comment.

Thorsby has previously criticised the environmental impact of major tournaments, telling BBC Sport before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that it would be "an absolute disaster" for the environment.

But he also said football must be honest about the value the World Cup can still have.

"In the times that we're in today, with such a fragmented world, I think a World Cup is extremely important in terms of world peace and having a meeting place where all nations can meet," he said.

"Maybe football is one of the few things we still have in common.

"Some types of emissions, some types of footprint, we have to allow ourselves.

"Maybe a World Cup is actually something that, if you think about all the aspects, has a positive effect on the world right now."