After last year’s dangerously hot and humid FIFA Club World Cup in the US, attention has turned to how soccer’s governing body might handle extreme heat during its largest ever tournament: The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off June 11. Much of the focus has been on how the temperatures could affect the footballers, but the event is a reminder that the ones in real peril are the fans — and the players of the future.
Lara Williams is the Managing Editor at Verdict technology. With extensive experience in technology journalism, she focuses on themes such as climate change, energy sustainability, and artificial intelligence, often exploring the intersection of these topics with policy and regulation. Lara's work has been featured in numerous publications, including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Bloomberg Law.














