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First Post
4 days ago
- Climate
- First Post
US heatwave raises alarm for FIFA World Cup 2026 as players, fans suffer during Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup in the US has already offered a clear glimpse of the climate challenges that teams, players and fans may face during the FIFA World Cup 2026. read more It's not just empty seats that are haunting the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States, but also the soaring temperatures. The situation has set alarm bells ringing, especially with the US set to co-host the FIFA World Cup 2026. The loudest voice of complaint so far has been Atletico Madrid footballer Marcos Llorente, who was visibly unhappy with the climate conditions during his team's 4–0 defeat to European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Players, fans suffer in searing heat during FIFA Club World Cup 'Playing in this heat is impossible," Llorente after the match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in California. 'The heat is terrible. My toes hurt, even my toenails — I couldn't stop or start running. It's unbelievable, but since it's the same for everyone… there's no point complaining.' As per the websites that report on weather, the temperatures during the PSG vs Atleti match neared 32°C and it has been almost the same for other games as well. The fans during the match at Rose Bowl had also complained about long queues in the heat, lack of shaded areas in the stadium and water restrictions at entry. More from Football It's no surprise that the FIFA Club World Cup is facing the impact of harsh weather as June is among the summer months in the US. The issue has been compounded by the fact that matches are taking place in open-air stadiums that do not have climate-controlled roofing. These stadiums include Camping World Stadium in Orlando, the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles and Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. Players & fans at PSG - Atletico were subjected to blazing sunshine as the temperature reached 31C after midday KO in Pasadena. FIFA's decision to schedule 35/63 games earlier than 17:00 local time has raised eyebrows -world players' union Fifpro. [BBC] — Kyama ⚽ (@ElijahKyama_) June 16, 2025 FIFA World Cup 2026 in US could be equally hot Things are not expected to be much different during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The mega event next year will be held across 11 stadiums in the US, two in Canada and three in Mexico. But only five out of those 16 stadiums have roofs, while the remaining are open-air stadiums. The weather next year is expected to be equally harsh across venues. The match timings have also contributed to the misery, with some of the games taking place in the afternoon and multiple early kickoffs on the roster due to the time difference between different geographies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The world players' union FIFPRO has already asked FIFA to change the scheduling. 'FIFPRO has consistently advocated for comprehensive heat protection measures including mandatory cooling breaks, adjustments to kick-off times to avoid the most intense heat, and the postponement of matches when conditions pose a serious health risk to players,' FIFPRO said. 'With tournaments like the Club World Cup featuring dense match schedules and hot climates in locations such as Orlando and Miami, extreme heat is becoming an increasingly important health and safety issue in professional football. 'FIFPRO will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations.' Currently, one mandatory break per half is allowed to tackle the humid and hot conditions, but it's not proving to be enough. However, FIFA looks unbothered as it maintains that the Club World Cup is held on the lines of the broader International Match Calendar and sufficient protocols are already in place. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Climate
- Business Recorder
Scorching heat sparks welfare fears at Club World Cup
MIAMI: Soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity at the Club World Cup are fuelling concerns among players, coaches, and fans, with calls for additional cooling breaks and adjustments to match schedules. Midday kickoff temperatures in Pasadena at the weekend approached 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit), forcing players in the Paris St Germain v Atletico Madrid match to dig in early as the midday sun blazed on the Rose Bowl's uncovered stands and pitch. Atletico's Marcos Llorente described the conditions as 'terribly hot,' saying 'my toes were sore, my nails were hurting… it's incredible.' Fans, too, voiced concern. Attendees at the Rose Bowl complained of long queues in harsh heat, limited shaded areas and water restrictions at entry, with some leaving at halftime due to dehydration and fear of fainting. Similar mid‑afternoon kickoff conditions are planned for upcoming matches, stoking safety concerns for supporters and players. Monday's match in Pasadena was not an isolated incident. Miami and Los Angeles are experiencing temperatures north of 30 °C (86 °F), many rising above the 32 °C heat‑stress threshold, triggering warnings from player unions. Tuesday's game between Real Madrid and Al Hilal is scheduled at 1500 local time with temperatures expected to reach 32°C with humidity set to hover around 70%. The world players' union FIFPRO has suggested FIFA should revise scheduling, if needed. Monterrey hold Inter Milan 1-1 at Club World Cup 'FIFPRO has consistently advocated for comprehensive heat protection measures including mandatory cooling breaks, adjustments to kick-off times to avoid the most intense heat, and the postponement of matches when conditions pose a serious health risk to players,' FIFPRO said. 'With tournaments like the Club World Cup featuring dense match schedules and hot climates in locations such as Orlando and Miami, extreme heat is becoming an increasingly important health and safety issue in professional football. 'FIFPRO will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations.' The current rules permit one mandatory break per half. England coach Thomas Tuchel, observing the tournament as part of planning for next year's World Cup in North America, warned the tournament schedule would resemble 'suffering,' with players battling harsh midday conditions. The heat represents one of many controversies plaguing the expanded 32‑team format. FIFPRO and the PFA have launched legal action in Brussels, alleging FIFA overstepped by introducing an unsustainable four‑week calendar, risking player burnout. Critics say the added fixtures, combined with sweltering heat, could severely strain player welfare. FIFA, however, maintains that the extended summer fixtures align with the broader International Match Calendar and that existing protocols are sufficient.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Scorching heat sparks welfare fears at Club World Cup
MIAMI: Soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity at the Club World Cup are fueling concerns among players, coaches, and fans, with calls for additional cooling breaks and adjustments to match schedules. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Midday kickoff temperatures in Pasadena at the weekend approached 32° Celsius (89.6° Fahrenheit), forcing players in the Paris St. Germain vs. Atletico Madrid match to dig in early as the midday sun blazed on the Rose Bowl's uncovered stands and pitch. Atletico's Marcos Llorente described the conditions as 'terribly hot,' saying 'my toes were sore, my nails were hurting... it's incredible.' Fans, too, voiced concern. Attendees at the Rose Bowl complained of long queues in harsh heat, limited shaded areas and water restrictions at entry, with some leaving at halftime due to dehydration and fear of fainting. Similar mid-afternoon kickoff conditions are planned for upcoming matches, stoking safety concerns for supporters and players. Monday's match in Pasadena was not an isolated incident. Miami and Los Angeles are experiencing temperatures north of 30° C (86° F), many rising above the 32° C heat-stress threshold, triggering warnings from player unions. Tuesday's game between Real Madrid and Al-Hilal is scheduled at 1500 local time with temperatures expected to reach 32°C with humidity set to hover around 70 percent. The world players' union FIFPRO has suggested FIFA should revise scheduling, if needed. 'FIFPRO has consistently advocated for comprehensive heat protection measures including mandatory cooling breaks, adjustments to kick-off times to avoid the most intense heat, and the postponement of matches when conditions pose a serious health risk to players,' FIFPRO said. 'With tournaments like the Club World Cup featuring dense match schedules and hot climates in locations such as Orlando and Miami, extreme heat is becoming an increasingly important health and safety issue in professional football. 'FIFPRO will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations.' The current rules permit one mandatory break per half. England coach Thomas Tuchel, observing the tournament as part of planning for next year's World Cup in North America, warned the tournament schedule would resemble 'suffering,' with players battling harsh midday conditions. The heat represents one of many controversies plaguing the expanded 32-team format. FIFPRO and the PFA have launched legal action in Brussels, alleging FIFA overstepped by introducing an unsustainable four-week calendar, risking player burnout. Critics say the added fixtures, combined with sweltering heat, could severely strain player welfare. FIFA, however, maintains that the extended summer fixtures align with the broader International Match Calendar and that existing protocols are sufficient.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Scorching heat sparks welfare fears at football's Club World Cup
Club World Cup 2025. Photo: FEDERICO PARRA / AFP Soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity at football's Club World Cup are fuelling concerns among players, coaches, and fans, with calls for additional cooling breaks and adjustments to match schedules. Midday kick-off temperatures in Pasadena at the weekend approached 32 degrees Celsius, forcing players in the Paris St Germain v Atletico Madrid match to dig in early as the midday sun blazed on the Rose Bowl's uncovered stands and pitch. Atletico's Marcos Llorente described the conditions as "terribly hot," saying "my toes were sore, my nails were hurting... it's incredible." Fans, too, voiced concern. Attendees at the Rose Bowl complained of long queues in harsh heat, limited shaded areas and water restrictions at entry, with some leaving at half-time due to dehydration and fear of fainting. Similar mid-afternoon kick-off conditions are planned for upcoming matches, stoking safety concerns for supporters and players. The match in Pasadena was not an isolated incident. Miami and Los Angeles are experiencing temperatures north of 30 degrees Celsius, many rising above the 32 degrees Celsius heat-stress threshold, triggering warnings from player unions. Tuesday's game between Real Madrid and Al Hilal is scheduled at 1500 local time with temperatures expected to reach 32-C with humidity set to hover around 70 percent. The world players' union FIFPRO has suggested FIFA should revise scheduling, if needed. "FIFPRO has consistently advocated for comprehensive heat protection measures including mandatory cooling breaks, adjustments to kick-off times to avoid the most intense heat, and the postponement of matches when conditions pose a serious health risk to players," FIFPRO said. "With tournaments like the Club World Cup featuring dense match schedules and hot climates in locations such as Orlando and Miami, extreme heat is becoming an increasingly important health and safety issue in professional football. "FIFPRO will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations." The current rules permit one mandatory break per half. England coach Thomas Tuchel, observing the tournament as part of planning for next year's World Cup in North America, warned the tournament schedule would resemble "suffering," with players battling harsh midday conditions. The heat represents one of many controversies plaguing the expanded 32-team format. FIFPRO and the PFA have launched legal action in Brussels, alleging FIFA overstepped by introducing an unsustainable four-week calendar, risking player burnout. Critics say the added fixtures, combined with sweltering heat, could severely strain player welfare. FIFA, however, maintains that the extended summer fixtures align with the broader International Match Calendar and that existing protocols are sufficient. - Reuters
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Porto transfer targets did not want to play in Club World Cup, says Villas-Boas
FILE PHOTO: Jun 15, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; FC Porto forward Pepe (11) controls the ball during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against SE Palmeiras at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -Portuguese side Porto struggled to recruit players ahead of FIFA's expanded Club World Cup, with transfer targets turning down moves specifically to avoid the tournament's additional fixture burden, club president Andre Villas-Boas said. FIFA had given leagues the option to open the transfer window between June 1-10 so participating clubs could sign players before the month-long tournament in the United States. "We tested the market recently, so we had a special transfer window from June 1-10 where the Club World Cup clubs operated. It was incredible to see that a lot of football players didn't want to be in the competition," Villas-Boas told Men in Blazers. "They prefer to rest in order to start afresh in the new season. So this is actually outstanding as well because FIFPRO (the global players' union) is demanding more rest for the players." A FIFPRO study concluded that a four-week off-season break should be mandatory for professional soccer players. "With the World Cup coming in America next season (2026), it's an even bigger competition -- more teams, probably 1,200 athletes in one competition," he added. "So the calendar is becoming exhausting and we have more injuries... The players can't put on a good spectacle if they are not fresh." Villas-Boas, a former manager at clubs like Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, also said that the expanded 32-team tournament comes at a "very bad time" for European clubs who wrapped up an exhausting season in May. Porto drew 0-0 with Palmeiras in their opening group game where the Brazilian side dominated the contest but were unable to find a breakthrough. "A few of us (European clubs) have had to give a vacation to the players, then we have to bring them back early without time enough for them to reset," Villas-Boas said. "So for us, we are like in a continuation of the last season. And whatever happens after this tournament, the new season is coming, so they never actually have the reset that they need (going) into a new season." Porto will next play Lionel Messi's Inter Miami on Thursday. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
