Brutal heatwave hits players and fans at FIFA Club World Cup across America

USA Today

2 days ago

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — You can hear the music thumping inside the stadium, blaring outside of it. It's only natural to feel the anticipation build.
'Let's get down, let's get down to business' is the catchy Tiësto hook that plays before every FIFA Club World Cup match.
This was my sixth time hearing it at Hard Rock Stadium since the tournament began, but my first as a paying patron for a match between Brazil's Fluminense and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday, June 25.
My excitement, however, was quickly hit with a snag before I got past the security gates to get my ticket scanned.
FIFA says 'fans are welcome to bring empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles, up to one liter (33.8 oz) into the stadiums.'
A security attendant told me to finish mine before I could enter. Okay, understandable — I thought — since the policy is 'empty.' I was three-quarters of the way done with mine. I had bariatric surgery nine months ago, so it was a test to finish my superfood-infused water with a smaller stomach. But I was able to.
Then, another attendant reached for my bottle and tossed it in a garbage can.
'I thought FIFA allows a water bottle,' I said.
'Not here,' she replied as the bottle fell on top of others in the can.
A mistake on the attendant's part, and since the tournament began FIFA has been in communication with stadium staffs to address these misunderstandings and confusion on entry policies.
FIFA also released a statement last week regarding the extreme heat across the United States, which adds to mounting concerns about player safety and fan welfare during the Club World Cup and next year's FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
'FIFA's top priority is the health of everyone involved in football,' a spokesman said. 'FIFA will continue to monitor the weather conditions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.'
The noon and 3 p.m. start times to matches have also been an issue at the height of the heat, providing primetime viewing in other parts of the world.
'I think it's part and parcel of football," English captain Harry Kane said after Bayern Munich's win over Boca Juniors. You have to be able to adapt. ... There's something special about these World Cup games, and next year will be the same.
"When you come off that pitch and you're sweating and you're dripping and you're cramping and you've given everything on the pitch – there's a special feeling inside, especially when you win.'
Meanwhile, German giant Borussia Dortmund refused to have players sit on the bench directly in the sun in Cincinnati for their June 21 noon match. It was 87°F (30.5°C).
'Our subs watched the first half from inside the locker room to avoid the blazing sun at TQL Stadium – never seen that before, but in this heat, it absolutely makes sense,' the team said, sharing a photo of players in the locker room on social media.
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Here are a few things FIFA could consider before the World Cup next year to address the heat concerns:
– Install mist systems and climate-controlled benches, like NFL teams use during late-summer and winter games, at hosting venues. It might not directly help the players on the field, outside of their cooling breaks in the 30th and 75th minutes, when they hydrate, eat an electrolyte chewable and/or apply a wet towel on themselves. But it's a good starting point.
– Only four of the 11 American venues hosting World Cup games are indoors and should be prioritized for day games: Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, TX, Houston's NRG Stadium and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Teams should also get a proceeding night match if they play an early game in the sun.
– FIFA should coordinate with stadium vendors to sell water at cheaper price points. MetLife Stadium sells water for $5, while Hard Rock Stadium for $6. Maybe, FIFA and Ticketmaster could consider a nominal water fee on ticket sales, and just give fans water for free at the concession stands. Hey, just thinking out loud.
– Ticketmaster and other ticket-selling platforms should be transparent and communicate to consumers when and where seats are shaded at stadiums, so they can make informed purchases.
Club World Cup attendance amid heat wave
I've attended events at Hard Rock Stadium, as a patron and journalist, for nearly 20 years. I bought a resell ticket on Ticketmaster in section 106, row 2 for $37, figuring I could help a seller offload their purchase. My seat was also covered by the stadium's canopy for the entire match.
But not everyone was so comfortable.
Fluminense fan Matt Benac sat with his back braced up against a concrete wall inside the stadium concourse, waving his black hat in front of his face flushed red, trying to relieve himself from the blazing sun at halftime.
Benac was among five sections of Fluminense fans baking in the lower level where there's no escape from the sunlight unless intercepted by a cloud. There weren't any on this day.
'It's too hot for me to handle,' said Benac, who is from Rio de Janiero, where Fluminense plays. 'I'm just out here sitting in the shade trying to have a good time. But it's hard with the sun out there. It's getting me exhausted.'
Despite the conditions, football loving fans will still show up for their favorite teams – and pay the price of bottled water multiple times.
Fluminense fan Rafael Daceo held four empty cups under his arm while shirtless, standing next to his girlfriend Carolina Casaes inside the stadium corridor.
They moved from Rio de Janiero seven months ago to be students at Madison College in Wisconsin, and were sunburnt from a trip to the beach a day earlier. More than welcoming the sun, they attended the Fluminense match because being a fan is in their blood.
Daceo said his father is a Fluminense fan, and his grandfather before them. Casaes said her entire family was watching the match back home in Rio.
'I'm feeling like I'm here with my dad, my brother and my step-father because they love Fluminense. I'm feeling like I'm with them. They are watching, too,' Casaes said. 'I'm so grateful to be here. I feel like I'm in Brazil. It's not the same, but the energy is the same. We really miss Brazil right now. Here, we feel a little bit of it.'
Just participating in Club World Cup has brought pride to the players and their fans.
The Fluminense fans cheered until the very end, even raising their intensity in the final 10 minutes of the match as they finished a scoreless draw against the Sundowns but advanced to the Round of 16.
Sundowns players even danced on the pitch in front of their supporters in the stands, after the final whistle concluded their participation in the tournament.
Vuyani Makabe, a South African from Vancouver who flew across the continent for the Miami match, was filled with pride watching his team.
'I never thought as a kid my Mamelodi Sundowns, who I grew up supporting, would actually be competing in a World Cup, and me watching them in Miami,' Makabe said. 'This is a dream come true.'