Weather causing increasing concern at Club World Cup

After a fourth game was postponed due to thunderstorms, the Fifa Club World Cup is still being affected by weather concerns. A heatwave is expected next week.

Due to the storms and heavy rain in Orlando, the second half of Benfica’s Group C match against Auckland City started more than two hours late.

The delay had caused more than an hour before Mamelodi Sundowns against Ulsan HD in the same city.

And there were lengthy intermissions between Salzburg and Pachuca in Cincinnati and Palmeiras v Al-Ahly in New Jersey (40 minutes).

According to Fossil Free Football, ten games are scheduled for the following week that could result in significant or extreme heat risks.

The United States, Canada, and Mexico are co-hosting the World Cup, which comes just one year after it ends.

The fixtures at the no-shade stadium in Charlotte, where a heat index of 38C (Real Madrid vs. Pachuca) and 41C (Benfica vs. Bayern), are reportedly of particular concern.

This underscores the dangers that fans and players will encounter at this and in 2026. There is little that Fifa can do to calm safety worries.

In Nashville’s 41C on a field with little cover is scheduled for the game between Auckland City and Boca Juniors, which is part-time football in New Zealand.

In the upcoming heatwave, matches will also be played in Philadelphia, New York, Cincinnati, and Washington, DC.

Marcos Llorente added that “it’s incredible” and that my toes were sore and my nails were hurting following Atletico’s 4-0 defeat by Paris St-Germain in Pasadena in 32C.

Fans complained about long lines and water restrictions when arriving at the stadium and that they had to leave that game due to the heat.

According to a Fifa statement, “Fifa’s top priority is the health of everyone who plays football,” and its medical team has been in frequent contact with the participating clubs to discuss heat management and acclimatization.

Fans are permitted to bring empty, clear bottles of up to one litre into stadiums as well as cooling breaks in the 30th and 75th minute, respectively.

Los Angeles FC defeated Chelsea 3-1 in their opening game against Flamengo on Friday, making them one of two English teams competing alongside Manchester City.

From a scheduling perspective, there will be concerns about the delays in games in addition to the danger the heat poses to players, staff, and supporters.

For thunder and lightning storms and heavy rain, there were waits of 40 minutes to two and a half hours for four of the first 21 games.

The potential for overlapping matches at the 2026 World Cup won’t disappoint broadcasters.

An hour before Chelsea’s match against Flamengo was scheduled to end, Benfica vs. Auckland City had to come to an end, but the Blues’ defeat came about after the final whistle was blown.

Bruno Lage, a coach for Benfica, said, “This is the longest game of my career.” Our fans, who have been watching the team for five hours, deserve special appreciation.