Norway midfielder Morten Thorsby has warned that "everybody in football loses" if Fifa fails to strengthen its heat safety measures ahead of this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Thorsby is part of a coalition of current and former professional footballers who have written directly to football's world governing body, urging stronger heat protocols before the expanded 48-team tournament kicks off. The letter follows warnings issued last week by leading scientists and medical experts, who argued that Fifa's existing measures fall short and put player safety at risk.

A danger beyond the pitch

The Cremonese midfielder, who competes in Italian Serie A and has spent over a decade campaigning on climate issues in football, insists the stakes extend beyond player welfare alone.

"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."

Researchers have warned that temperatures at 14 of the 16 tournament stadiums could reach dangerous levels. Fifa has responded by introducing mandatory three-minute cooling breaks in every half of every match, regardless of prevailing conditions, and says scheduling, stadium selection, and operational planning have all accounted for the climate.

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

However, the players' letter demands Fifa go further, backing medical experts' calls for longer cooling breaks and clearer protocols for delaying or postponing matches when conditions become extreme.

The spectacle suffers when players cannot perform

Thorsby, who is expected to appear at the World Cup after Norway qualified for the first time in 28 years, argued that the problem affects not only those on the pitch but also the quality of the spectacle itself.

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

The letter carries signatures from players across both the men's and women's game, among them Italy defender Elena Linari, former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, and Ipswich Town forward Chuba Akpom. Thorsby acknowledged that persuading higher-profile names to speak publicly remains a challenge.

"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," he said. "I know that the players are scared — they're concerned about opinions of people."

Fossil fuel sponsors in the firing line

Beyond heat safety, the players' letter also calls on Fifa to take "serious climate action" and sever ties with fossil fuel sponsors. Fifa's global partners include Aramco — the Saudi Arabia state-owned oil giant, which signed a four-year global partnership with the governing body in 2024. Aramco declined to comment.

Fifa defended the partnership, with a spokesperson stating the governing body would "reinvest nearly 90% of the projected $14 billion revenue for the 2027–30 cycle back into the global game," adding that commercial partnerships make it possible to develop football in more than 100 countries.

Despite his criticisms, Thorsby acknowledged the broader value of a World Cup in an increasingly divided world. "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," he said. "Maybe football is one of the few things we still have in common."