Chelsea's Fernández calls US heat dangerous, says FIFA should avoid afternoon World Cup kickoffs
'Honestly, the heat is incredible,' Fernandez said Friday. 'The other day I got a little dizzy during a play. I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy. Playing in this temperature in very dangerous.'
FIFA slashed ticket prices again ahead of the final, as it has throughout the tournament.
Chelsea and PSG play starting at 3 p.m. EDT in MetLife Stadium, also site of next year's World Cup final. Because of the heat, Fernandez recommended FIFA avoid afternoon kickoffs at the 2026 tournament.
'The speed of the game is not the same,' he said. 'Everything becomes very slow. Well, let's hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle.'
Temperature at kickoff is forecast to be 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) with humidity that will make it feel like 91 F (33 C).
'The game will be harder for the team that don't have the ball,' Chelsea captain Reece James said. 'I think we've played in it a fair amount now, so I'd say we're slowly, slowly getting used to it.'
Both teams were allowed by FIFA not to have media availabilities on Saturday.
PSG seeks to complete a quadruple after winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and its first Champions League title.
Chelsea is trying for its second world championship after winning in 2021. The Blues have a fourth day of rest after beating Fluminense 2-0 on Tuesday, a day before PSG routed Real Madrid 4-0.
Lowest ticket prices dropped from $330 earlier in the week to $199.60 on Saturday.
'I agree with most of the people that they say that they are the best team in Europe, the best team in the world, and the reason why is because they are showing this — they show in France, they show in the Champions League, they are showing in this competition,' Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.
PSG clinched the French league title on April 5 with six games to spare, won the French Cup on May 24 and the Champions League a week later, romping over Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.
'We really want to go grab this title and this would make it an absolutely perfect season, which would be very hard to replicate,' PSG captain Marquinhos said. 'We really want to make history.'
Chelsea had a more modest season, finishing fourth in the Premier League, losing to Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup, to Newcastle in the fourth round of the League Cup and winning the third-tier UEFA Conference League.
'Everyone is picking up our opposition,' James said. 'We are preparing right and we are going to win.'
NOTES: Maresca said winger Noni Madueke had left the team to sign elsewhere.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dockers praise 'bloody' good leader after epic win
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir always knew how good Andrew Brayshaw was, and on Saturday night, the young leader was at his bloodiest best. Brayshaw racked up 29 disposals, six clearances and a career-high 14 tackles as Fremantle overcame a 13-point deficit at the final change to post a fighting 13-point win over Hawthorn at Optus Stadium. With just 40 seconds remaining on the clock, Brayshaw sat at the base of a pack and copped a knee to the head from teammate Luke Jackson. It left Brayshaw with blood streaming from his head, but it didn't stop him from conducting an on-field TV interview after the 12.5 (77) to 9.10 (64) win. HEART & SOUL 💜 #foreverfreo — Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) July 12, 2025 Brayshaw had to continually wipe away the streaming blood while answering questions, with the state of his head showcasing his willingness to put his body on the line when it matters most. "I think it was bit of a show getting an interview after the game, blood dripping down. He'd be pretty happy with that," Longmuir said with a chuckle. Brayshaw was restricted to just 24 disposals and four clearances to go with three tackles in Fremantle's 11-point loss to Sydney a week ago, and Longmuir praised the way his star charge rebounded against Hawthorn. "He was disappointed with his game last week," Longmuir said. "I know (midfield coach) Joel Corey asked him for more defensively, and he's a barometer for us when he's bringing his pressure, when he's bringing his trademark efforts to chase down. "So him leading the way (against Hawthorn), and all our leaders leading the way in an area of focus is really important." Fremantle ended the match with 103 tackles - their intense pressure proving to be the difference. The win means eighth-placed Fremantle (11-6) are just percentage adrift of fourth spot, but they will receive an even bigger test of their premiership credentials in next Sunday's clash with Collingwood at the MCG. "It's the biggest challenge in footy," Longmuir said of taking on the ladder leaders. "You not only take on Collingwood, who are the best team in the comp, but you go and take on the Magpie Army and the crowd." Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce, who returned from a hot spot in his shin against Sydney but was unable to back up against Hawthorn, is no guarantee to return against Collingwood. Longmuir dismissed fears Pearce had suffered another hot spot, with "soreness" the official diagnosis at this stage. "It just didn't handle the full load of an AFL game last week," Longmuir said. "Given it was a six-day break, it just hasn't responded off that 13-14km that he ran last week, which is a big spike. "So we're hoping it settles down quicker."
Associated Press
11 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Marco Reus and Diego Fagúndez score for Galaxy in 2-1 win over D.C. United
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Marco Reus and Diego Fagúndez scored goals and L.A. Galaxy defeated D.C. United 2-1 on Saturday night. Reus scored in the 23rd minute with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box to the lower left-central zone and the Galaxy carried the 1-0 advantage into the halftime break. LA outshot United 9-3 overall and 2-0 on goal in the first half. For the game, LA outshot United 13-11 overall and 5-3 on goal. Fagúndez made it 2-0 for the Galaxy early in the second half when he scored with from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. In the 77th minute, Gabriel Pirani got D.C. United on the board, connecting from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Pirani's goal was the first for United (4-11-7) in the past four games and their slump has reached five straight games without a win. Novak Micovic had two saves for the Galaxy (3-13-6) and Luis Barraza had three saves for United. Up next D.C.: at Charlotte on Wednesday LA: vs. Austin on Wednesday ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marco Reus and Diego Fagúndez score for Galaxy in 2-1 win over D.C. United
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Marco Reus and Diego Fagúndez scored goals and L.A. Galaxy defeated D.C. United 2-1 on Saturday night. Reus scored in the 23rd minute with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box to the lower left-central zone and the Galaxy carried the 1-0 advantage into the halftime break. Advertisement LA outshot United 9-3 overall and 2-0 on goal in the first half. For the game, LA outshot United 13-11 overall and 5-3 on goal. Fagúndez made it 2-0 for the Galaxy early in the second half when he scored with from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. In the 77th minute, Gabriel Pirani got D.C. United on the board, connecting from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Pirani's goal was the first for United (4-11-7) in the past four games and their slump has reached five straight games without a win. Novak Micovic had two saves for the Galaxy (3-13-6) and Luis Barraza had three saves for United. Up next D.C.: at Charlotte on Wednesday LA: vs. Austin on Wednesday ___ AP soccer:
