World Cup 2026 fears as weather expert warns England stars to prepare for lengthy suspensions
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ENGLAND stars have been warned to prepare for frequent delays at the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc at the Club World Cup.
Chelsea's last-16 win over Benfica took almost FIVE HOURS to complete after the match was suspended due to "the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium".
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Fears are growing over the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc at the Club World Cup.
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Extreme weather has disrupted the first two weeks of the Club World Cup
It was the sixth game of the tournament that has been suspended because of seasonal summer thunderstorms, with players, staff and fans pulled indoors for two hours.
Both teams were forced to keep fresh on training bikes in the dressing rooms, while fans were kept into the concourse, with the Blues 1-0 up with four minutes remaining thanks to Reece James' free-kick.
When it finally restarted, Angel Di Maria equalised with a controversial stoppage-time penalty to take the game to extra-time, only for Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to seal Chelsea's win.
Maresca slammed it was "a joke" and said the US is "not the right place to do the competition" after the match lasted four hours and 39 minutes in Charlotte and finished at 01:39 BST on Sunday.
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And now weather experts have warned world football to prepare for the same at next summer's World Cup - hosted across the USA, Canada and Mexico.
National Weather Service official Ben Schott, who advises Fifa and the US World Cup taskforce for 2026, says teams should plan accordingly.
A recent study published by the International Journal of Biometeorology warned of the risk posed by extreme heat for players and spectators.
The study concluded that 14 of the 16 host cities being used for the World Cup experienced temperatures that frequently exceeded the commonly accepted safe thresholds for wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) -- a widely used measure for heat stress.
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The study argued for games to be scheduled outside of the afternoon windows when conditions were typically at their most fierce.
England don't have the best history - or experience - of performing well in extreme heat.
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Thomas Tuchel is already preparing for the extreme weather at the 2026 World Cup
Chelsea vs Benfica SUSPENDED with just five minutes left as referee takes players off due to severe lightning storm
But ESPN reported on Tuesday that Thomas Tuchel has used artificial pitchside tents with heaters inside to recreate the temperatures they will likely face next June.
While roasting heat was an issue when the US last hosted the World Cup in 1994, no games at that tournament were halted by storm warnings because the technology hadn't been created by then.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund left their substitutes in the dressing room for the first-half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, rather than have them sitting out in the sunshine last week.
And Maresca cut short his team's training session in Philadelphia on Monday as the City of Brotherly Love baked in temperatures of 38C.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, said the weather could ultimately shape the destiny of the Club World Cup.
Kovac said: "I think that this tournament will be decided not by the best team, but the team that can adapt to these weather conditions the best. They will probably win this tournament"
On Tuesday, Boca Juniors' game against Auckland City was also delayed due to public safety regulations as lightning struck within 10 miles of a stadium.
A weather delay in Benfica's game against Auckland led to an interruption in play of nearly two hours last week.
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.
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