One of the concerns for the 2026 World Cup is the North American climate. With matches split across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the temperature variation will be a factor that can influence players’ performance. Therefore, national teams had to find strategies to “dribble” this challenge, and one of the answers came from Formula 1.
In 2025, Adidas, which develops Mercedes’ on-track uniforms, unveiled a jacket that drew attention. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell appeared, early in the season, wearing a “space jacket,” which was soon revealed to be more than a fashion item: it was a new project from the brand to help drivers in hot weather.
Since then, the system, called Climacool, has been used by drivers to keep their body temperature at an appropriate level before extremely hot races. The jacket features a cooling system with fans and insulating materials. According to studies presented by the brand, lowering the temperature leads to improved performance in cognitive tasks, and the endurance benefit can reach up to 25%.
Now, Adidas will bring the system to World Cup players. Teams such as Norway have already expressed concern about the intense heat on the American continent, and recently images emerged of players struggling in training ahead of the tournament’s official kickoff.
In addition to the jacket, athletes will also have access to a cooling vest, the same used by F1 drivers to prevent the intense heat inside the cars. The device became a key piece at the Singapore Grand Prix, for example, where drivers can lose more than 2 kg through sweat during the night race.
Initially developed with the assistance of Mercedes, the pieces underwent a redesign after research with European football teams: “Working extensively with clubs such as Manchester United, Juventus and Arsenal, we were able to test and develop a new Climacool system based on the direct feedback from players and their medical teams, which offers measurable benefits to the athlete,” said Marc Makowski, Senior Vice President of Innovation at the brand.
F1 enters into the FIFA World Cup mood with actions celebrating the tournament. One of them was announced by Racing Bulls, which will use a special paint scheme for the Barcelona Grand Prix, taking place from June 12 to 14.
