\n
MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Heat isn’t the only environmental factor that affects players’ performance in games. world cup.<\/span> Teams playing in Mexico’s two host cities will have to adapt to another challenge: altitude.<\/p>\nof aztec stadium<\/span> in mexico city<\/span> Located over 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level, Guadalajara<\/span> The altitude is 5,138 feet (1,566 meters).<\/p>\nThe visiting team, which is not used to such conditions, may suffer from fatigue.<\/p>\n
“We have a big advantage as the host nation because we will be playing at the Estadio Azteca with fans and high altitude,” Mexican soccer commissioner Mikel Arriola said. “It’s a very powerful setting.” <\/p>\n
Exploiting that advantage is seen as key to the team’s chances in Mexico. it’s no coincidence Mr. El Tri<\/span> The deepest run of the World Cup took place on home soil.<\/p>\nThe last time Mexico hosted the tournament, in 1986, they reached the quarterfinals, but ultimately lost to West Germany in a penalty shootout. The match was held in Monterrey<\/span>altitude is not a factor here.<\/p>\nMexico will open the World Cup against South Africa on June 11th at the Azteca (renamed Mexico City Stadium by FIFA during the tournament), then play South Korea on June 18th in the suburbs of Guadalajara. Group A<\/span> The match against the Czech Republic was held in Mexico City on June 24th.<\/p>\nAltitude is not a consideration for matches held in the United States and Canada. The highest host city in the United States is Atlanta, at just 1,050 feet (320 meters) above sea level, while the highest venue in Canada is Toronto, at just 249 feet (76 meters).<\/p>\n
Two ways to deal with altitude<\/h2>\n
For elite athletes to perform at their best at high altitude, they require an adaptation period to reduce fatigue caused by lower air pressure and reduced oxygen availability.<\/p>\n
Sam Shepard, head of sports science at sports nutrition company Precision Fuel and Hydration, said: “At any running intensity, we would expect fatigue to appear sooner, heart rate to rise, and the ability to sustain the high-intensity efforts that characterize modern international football (sprinting, pressing, rapid changes of pace, etc.) to be reduced.”<\/p>\n
To reduce the physiological damage caused by thin air, sports scientists typically recommend two contrasting approaches. One is a long-term acclimatization period of at least two weeks, and the other is a “fly-in, fly-out” approach that gets you as close to kickoff as possible before acute symptoms begin.<\/p>\n
The latter is preferred for visiting American professional sports teams such as the NBA, MLB, and NFL, and they routinely arrive in Mexico City the day before the game.<\/p>\n
But long-term adaptation is becoming the norm for month-long tournaments.<\/p>\n
South Africa chose Pachuca, a city more than 8,000 feet (about 2,500 meters) higher than the capital, as its base camp, and arrived there last Tuesday. First visa delay.<\/span><\/p>\nSouth Korea, which will play its second group stage match in Guadalajara, opted for a similar approach.<\/p>\n
Head coach Hong Myung-bo said, “We will be playing at an altitude of about 1,600 meters (5,250 feet).” “We have little exposure to this environment, so we consulted experts to determine our needs. We are currently making detailed plans not only for training, but also for what will happen off the pitch during our stay.”<\/p>\n
In preparation, the Korean national team has been stationed at an altitude of more than 4,300 feet (1,300 meters) in Salt Lake City, Utah, since May 18. That could make a big difference, Sheppard said.<\/p>\n
“Spending two to three weeks at high altitude stimulates the body to produce more red blood cells, increasing its oxygen-carrying capacity. This means that players come into the game somewhat adapted, rather than experiencing full acute environmental stress on match day.”<\/p>\n
First match Colombia Group K<\/span> The match against Uzbekistan will be played in Mexico City on June 17th, and preparations for the World Cup have been underway in the capital Bogota, which is located at an altitude of 8,600 feet (2,600 meters) above sea level.<\/p>\nTheir itinerary requires them to deal with major changes in altitude and climate as they travel from Mexico’s capital to Guadalajara and finally to a humid location at sea level. miami<\/span> Finishing the group stage against Portugal.<\/p>\n“There is a clear physiological adaptation to the altitude,” Colombian national team coach Nestor Lorenzo said. “We have to play in three very different environments… But we have experience managing these variables and we’re going to use all the tools at our disposal.”<\/p>\n
No altitude training for Czechs <\/h2>\n
of czech<\/span> were one of the last teams to qualify for the World Cup through the European playoffs at the end of March. their base camp is nearby dallas<\/span> The site, chosen by FIFA, is approximately 590 feet (180 meters) above sea level.<\/p>\nThey will head straight to thin air in Mexico City for their final high-stakes group game against Mexico on June 24th.<\/p>\n
“It won’t be ideal,” Czech coach Miroslav Koubek said after announcing the squad last month. “You need to be in that environment for a month to adapt to it, and we don’t have that kind of time. We have recommendations from experts on how to deal with it, but we certainly can’t deal with it 100%.”<\/p>\n
The 1970 World Cup in Mexico was a huge failure for Czechoslovakia, which split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia 20 years later. The team lost all games against Brazil, Romania, and England in the group stage, but a lack of acclimatization to the high altitude is believed to be a contributing factor.<\/p>\n
“We thought a lot about the weather and altitude that awaits us,” Czech defender Tom\u00e1\u0161 Hores said. “Visiting places like that and talking to people who played there. It’s going to be a really tangible and interesting experience.”<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Duerden reported from London. Associated Press writer Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
___ AP World Cup coverage: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Heat isn’t the only environmental factor that affects players’ performance in games. world cup. Teams playing in Mexico’s two host cities will have to adapt to another challenge: altitude. of aztec stadium in mexico city Located over 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level, Guadalajara The altitude is 5,138 feet (1,566<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-35649","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer"},"yoast_head":"\n
How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Heat isn’t the only environmental factor that affects players’ performance in games. world cup. Teams playing in Mexico’s two host cities will have to adapt to another challenge: altitude. of aztec stadium in mexico city Located over 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level, Guadalajara The altitude is 5,138 feet (1,566\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-06T12:28:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin_ok9yktt6\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin_ok9yktt6\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/\",\"name\":\"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/urlhttps3A2F2Fassets.apnews.com2Fbf2Fb32F6d2a39da32bf738fe72b959984222Ff0674e40a67e41dfb30612c07d509e02.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-06T12:28:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/urlhttps3A2F2Fassets.apnews.com2Fbf2Fb32F6d2a39da32bf738fe72b959984222Ff0674e40a67e41dfb30612c07d509e02.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/urlhttps3A2F2Fassets.apnews.com2Fbf2Fb32F6d2a39da32bf738fe72b959984222Ff0674e40a67e41dfb30612c07d509e02.jpeg\",\"width\":980,\"height\":653},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/\",\"name\":\"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates\",\"description\":\"EPL VIP is your ultimate source for all things related to the English Premier League. Get the latest EPL news, live match updates, transfer rumors, team analysis, fixtures, and exclusive insights for true football fans.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9\",\"name\":\"admin_ok9yktt6\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin_ok9yktt6\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/author\/admin_ok9yktt6\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates","og_description":"MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Heat isn’t the only environmental factor that affects players’ performance in games. world cup. Teams playing in Mexico’s two host cities will have to adapt to another challenge: altitude. of aztec stadium in mexico city Located over 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level, Guadalajara The altitude is 5,138 feet (1,566","og_url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/","og_site_name":"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates","article_published_time":"2026-06-06T12:28:24+00:00","author":"admin_ok9yktt6","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin_ok9yktt6","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/","url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/","name":"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/urlhttps3A2F2Fassets.apnews.com2Fbf2Fb32F6d2a39da32bf738fe72b959984222Ff0674e40a67e41dfb30612c07d509e02.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-06-06T12:28:24+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/urlhttps3A2F2Fassets.apnews.com2Fbf2Fb32F6d2a39da32bf738fe72b959984222Ff0674e40a67e41dfb30612c07d509e02.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/urlhttps3A2F2Fassets.apnews.com2Fbf2Fb32F6d2a39da32bf738fe72b959984222Ff0674e40a67e41dfb30612c07d509e02.jpeg","width":980,"height":653},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/how-the-altitude-of-mexican-cities-will-affect-the-2026-world-cup\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How the altitude of Mexican cities will affect the 2026 World Cup"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/","name":"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates","description":"EPL VIP is your ultimate source for all things related to the English Premier League. Get the latest EPL news, live match updates, transfer rumors, team analysis, fixtures, and exclusive insights for true football fans.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9","name":"admin_ok9yktt6","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin_ok9yktt6"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/eplvip.com"],"url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/author\/admin_ok9yktt6\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}