Wicklow Rovers A conquer B team in unique Wicklow Cup semi-final
Second string's fairytale Cup run ended unceremoniously by league-winning club colleagues
Wicklow Rovers A 5
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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Fears for 2026 World Cup as extreme weather threatens game delays, ruining the football and forcing fans to leave early
FEARS are growing over the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc. Four Club World Cup matches have been hit by delays within the first five days of the tournament being played across the United States. 11 Extreme weather has disrupted the opening week of the Club World Cup Credit: AP 11 There are fears the thunderstorms and heat could be repeated during the 2026 World Cup Credit: Reuters 11 Fans have repeatedly been ushered out of the stands Credit: Getty And with a heatwave including temperatures as high as 41C set to hit next week, further problems are expected - with fans and players alike at risk. Now there is an increasing concern about the impact it could have on next summer's World Cup - hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. CLUB WORLD CUP CHAOS So far at the Club World Cup, the matches have been delayed due to thunderstorms. Mamelodi Sundowns vs Ulsan HD was the first fixture to be impacted with kick-off delayed by more than an hour. READ MORE FOOTBALL Then the Both Benfica vs Auckland and Mamelodi vs Ulsan were in Orlando. Most read in Football And although no World Cup matches are being staged in the city, there are seven scheduled for Miami - three hours' drive south in Florida. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS That may well include some England games as Miami is in the eastern region for the 2026 event. Similarly, Cincinnati is not on the list of host cities for next summer - but surrounding places such as Kansas City, Atlanta and Toronto are. Club World Cup clash takes over three hours to complete due to poor weather conditions at the TQL Stadium And New Jersey, the Again, like Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, the MetLife Stadium is within the eastern region England are set to be part of - along with nearby Boston and Philadelphia. Crucially, the Due to the time difference, to make sure European fans get to watch their teams play, many of their matches will be scheduled at lunchtime and in the afternoons - the hottest parts of the day. IMPACT ON PLAYERS... Of course, the extreme weather - both heat and storms - is leaving many players and referees at risk of heat stroke, exhaustion, dehydration plus other health issues and injuries. Atletico Madrid star Marcos Llorente said it was "terribly hot" when his side lost 4-0 to PSG in Los Angeles when it was 32C. By next week, players could be forced to take to the field in temperatures 9C hotter. Environmental physiologist and heat stress in sport expert at the University of Roehampton Dr Chris Tyler told the "Such conditions will be commonplace with many of the fixtures scheduled for before 5pm to maximise TV audiences. "Extreme heat could become the tournament's most formidable opponent." 11 Many players pour water on their faces to cool down Credit: Reuters 11 Crazy storms and rain have forced four matches to be delayed Credit: Getty 11 A heatwave with temperatures of 41C is on the way Credit: Reuters 11 Spectators are at risk of falling ill by sitting in direct heat Credit: Getty Fossil Free Football - a campaign group highlighting the impact of the climate crisis on the beautiful game - added: "Particular concern is for the fixtures in the no-shade stadium in Charlotte where a heat index of 38C (Real Madrid v Pachuca) and 41C (Benfica v Bayern) is forecast for the next two matches. "This underlines the dangers facing players and fans at this tournament and in 2026. Fifa have done very little to allay safety concerns." Maresca said: "It's not easy because of the temperature. We're going to try to rotate players." ...AND ON FANS... It is not just those on the pitch at risk, either. Fans being in stadiums when torrential rain falls or the sun is beating down could also find themselves in difficulty. Reports claim spectators at the Club World Cup have been forced to leave the stands during matches due to the heat. They also found long queues and restricted water availability at stadiums - even despite shoddy, low attendances. Sporting events are seemingly seeing play stopped to tend to fans taken ill in the crowd - with many of those due to heat-related incidents. This week at Queen's, ...AND ON BROADCASTERS The TV companies from around the globe have But matches at risk of being delayed could be a nightmare for broadcast executives - and fans trying to watch the action at home. That is because if a match has to be stopped for a lengthy period, it might not finish in time before the next match kicks off due to the frantic schedule. Exact kick-off times are yet to be confirmed but at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were at times four matches per day kicking off every three hours at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm UK time. But at the Club World Cup, the reality was laid bare. Club World Cup 2025 Guide SOME of the world's biggest clubs are in action at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States! Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13. The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane are showcasing their skills to packed crowds across the US. INFO Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup LATEST NEWS & FEATURES Club World Cup top scorers The Benfica vs Auckland game was due to finish an hour before Chelsea vs Flamengo kicked off. However, not only did the two matches overlap but the long stoppage meant the full-time whistle ended up blowing AFTER Benfica gaffer Bruno Lage said: "This is the longest game of my career. "A special thanks to our fans, who have been here for five hours supporting the team. "We played as well as we could. The temperature made it very difficult." FIFA'S RESPONSE So, what have Fifa said and done in response? Well, they released a brief statement in which they claimed health is their "top priority" and medical experts have been providing guidance. The world football governing body said: "Fifa's top priority is the health of everyone involved in football, and Fifa's medical experts have been in regular contact with the clubs participating to address heat management and acclimatisation." Fifa confirmed that a drinks break to give players the chance to take on fluids and cool down will take place at 30 minutes and 75 minutes if needed. They added fans will also be permitted to bring an empty clear water bottle up to one litre into stadiums. But while that is a helpful step for fans to be able to drink water a little easier, it is hardly going to make a major difference if fans are sat in unsheltered stands in the relentless driving rain with thunder and lightning or if temperatures reach dangerous levels in excess of 35C or even 40C. 11 PSG players did their best to try and cool down Credit: Reuters 11 Benfica fans supported their team for five hours Credit: Getty 11 Drinks breaks are permitted in each half when temperatures soar Credit: Reuters 11 Players and referees are at risk Credit: Reuters
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
From pints to points to prove - Jack Conan on a frenetic week in Lions camp
By early Monday morning reality had set in again for Jack Conan - one job done, another only starting. As Leinster skipper at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday, Conan lifted the URC trophy with injured club captain Caelan Doris and with Cian Healy, in his last action before retirement. Then the celebrations started. "Class," he recalled. "It was a bit weird in the changing room after, like we didn't know how to win. Lads were a bit awkward, but it was good craic. We went to the RDS for a bit which was good, and then just pottered into town, and everyone did their own thing." But Leinster's Lions had one eye on what was coming next. Monday morning, Lions camp. Andy Farrell admitted he was impressed by how fresh the Leinster and Bath players were when they joined after their respective Cup victories. Conan was fresh enough - he had a 7am appointment in Bray to pick up the family dog. "We had a great few days, it was nice, a few pints on Sunday as well early doors which was good. It was enjoyable celebrations. I was home early, so I was being wise. "The afterglow went pretty quickly on Monday morning when you had to pack up for the next eight weeks of your life, and get organised and do everything else and get into camp. The anxiety was pretty high, like first day of school going in. The lads had the time together, so you feel you're behind the 8-ball a bit, so you're on catch-up." The new arrivals had to get up to speed on the Lions' plays and calls on Monday, so that was challenging. Only one Leinster player involved last weekend - Rónan Kelleher - was picked to play against Argentina last night but Tuesday still involved a serious hit-out for the newcomers under Farrell's watch. "Soul-searching stuff, we had to run out the demons," winced Conan. "You'd love to be playing, but it is what it is. Everyone has been training away without us." Nine players not involved in the Argentina game were at the UCD Bowl yesterday morning to host a training session for 90 schoolchildren. Conan was wearing a leg brace but it won't stop him being involved in the Lions' first game on Australian soil next Saturday. The 32-year-old was on the last tour in South Africa but this promises to be a completely different experience as that took place during Covid. "Four years ago was still great, I loved it and had a great experience," Conan insisted. "You get to know the lads in such a different way because it was eight weeks of kind of solitary confinement. "You have to mix. You still have to mix now but you're getting out and about in smaller groups whereas four years ago, everyone was just kind of sitting around. "I'd love to be playing against Argentina but it is what it is. Excited to see a full stadium. The only taste we got of that was four years ago against Japan in Edinburgh and there were around 16,000 there with spaced seating, so definitely a bit different. 'You know what's expected of you when you put on the jersey and when you come into this environment. Other than that, it's more just the detail, the plays, calling structures and all that, it's different. "I can't wait to get over there. Everyone says it's just a different fanfare, a different level of excitement when you get properly on tour. But you can even see it walking around town at the moment, people in jerseys, there's a pop-up shop, so many kids outside The Shelbourne. It's special." The Lions fly Down Under this morning and Perth is the first stop for a clash with the Western Force. 'For them, it's going to be the biggest game of their careers when you're playing the club sides. The Western Force are going to be unbelievably up for it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those blokes. 'They might be missing a host of international stars but will be unbelievably excited so we'll have to be at our best. Every time you get an opportunity to put on this jersey it's only a very short amount of time. You've got to make the most of it and leave it in a better place. 'You've got to take those opportunities and run with it, and hopefully I'll get that opportunity next Saturday.'
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Why does Damien Duff annoy the celebration police so much? People need to relax – unless he goes full Alan Pardew
THE celebration police have been out in force. Advertisement 3 Non Shelbourne fans are growing increasingly fed up of his behaviour 3 He manages to irk people in victory as well as defeat 3 Once the Ireland legend doesn't get to this level we can live with his eccentricities Credit: BBC But social media was quick to pass comment at Duff dropping to his knees to bow to Shels fans after Seriously, who cares? If other people celebrating is all you have to worry about, you cannot complain — as long as no manager crosses the line and does The coefficient nerds — guilty, your Honour — will be busy with the League of Ireland clubs in Europe as Advertisement Read More On Irish Football Rankings are worked out when all the clubs' wins and draws are totted up and then divided by the number of teams in Europe. But, even though there are only three Irish clubs in European competition now, the total will still be divided by four. It means Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Rival clubs may not care but it does matter as the League of Ireland is currently ranked 32nd in Europe. Advertisement Most read in Football Live Blog Top-32 sides see their Cup winners go into the Europa League with a parachute into the Conference League. But slip lower and it is Conference League only. Watch Messi score stunning free-kick as Inter Miami stun Porto 2-1m In layman terms, it probably means getting better results than Iceland but expect the stattos to mention Kazakhstan, Bosnia, Finland et al as July becomes August.
