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Sinar Daily
25-06-2025
- Climate
- Sinar Daily
Extreme heat, storms take toll at Club World Cup
LOS ANGELES - Furnace-like heat and the threat of thunder and lightning are wreaking havoc at the Club World Cup -- and more of the same is likely at the 2026 World Cup. With a brutal heatwave blanketing swathes of the eastern United States, adapting to the weather has become a key focus for coaches and players. Fans of Flamengo sit in their stands ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group D football match between US Los Angeles FC and Brazil's CR Flamengo at the Camping World stadium in Orlando on June 24, 2025. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP) Borussia Dortmund took the unusual step of leaving their substitutes in the dressing room for the first half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, rather than have them sitting on the bench in blazing sunshine. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca meanwhile cut short his team's training session in Philadelphia on Monday as the City of Brotherly Love baked in temperatures of 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsisu). Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, said the weather could ultimately shape the destiny of the tournament. "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," Kovac said. While cooling breaks midway through each half have become standard during the tournament, Dortmund, like other teams, are taking extra steps to mitigate the brutal heat and humidity. "Our boys are very well taken care of by our doctors and the medical staff," Kovac said. "We have very cold towels. We put them in ice baths. The boys also need to cool down their legs and their feet in cold water and ice baths." The experience of the Club World Cup is likely a preview of what can be expected at next year's men's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A recent study published by the International Journal of Biometeorology warned of the risk posed by extreme heat at the tournament for players and spectators, citing climate change as a cause of "extreme heat" events that were "more frequent and intense". Storm disruptions The study concluded that 14 of the 16 host cities being used for the 2026 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. The study argued for games to be scheduled outside of the afternoon windows when conditions were typically at their most fierce. In addition to the brutal heat and humidity, teams at the Club World Cup have also had to deal with matches being halted due to the threat of lightning. On Tuesday, Boca Juniors' game against Auckland City became the fifth match of the tournament to experience a lengthy delay due to public safety regulations used in the United States that mandate play is halted whenever lightning is within 10 miles (16.1 kilometres) of a stadium. A weather delay in Benfica's game against Auckland led to an interruption in play of nearly two hours. National Weather Service official Ben Schott, who advises FIFA and the US World Cup taskforce for 2026, says the kind of weather affecting the ongoing competition is not out of the ordinary, and said teams and fans next year should plan accordingly. "Nothing that we're seeing right now is unusual even though we are breaking records," Schott told AFP. "Most of the eastern United States is breaking records, and then that happens almost every summer. To expect something similar next year as a possibility is something that people should prepare for if you're going to come and enjoy the games." While roasting heat was an issue when the United States last hosted the World Cup finals in 1994, no games at that tournament were halted by storm warnings. That is due to increasingly sophisticated forecasting technology, Schott said. "We're at a point now where we can start to see things almost a week in advance and predict them pretty accurately, as compared to 15-20 years ago," Schott said. "The advances in meteorology since we last had the World Cup here in 1994 have been substantial." Schott said thunder and lightning were "par for the course" in several regions of North America. "This is pretty typical for United States weather for this time of the year," Schott said. "We get a lot of moisture that pumps in from the Gulf of Mexico, and they get the afternoon thunderstorms pop up. "So as we move towards World Cup 2026, things that we're seeing right now would be quite typical to be seen again." FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by AFP. - AFP
Al-Ahram Weekly
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
PHOTO GALLERY: Los Angeles FC lost to Esperance, Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors at World Cup
Fans of Esperance Sportive de Tunis cheer for their team during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group D football match between US Los Angeles FC and Tunis' Esperance Sportive de Tunis at the Geodis Park stadium in Nashville on June 20, 2025. AFP
Sinar Daily
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Sinar Daily
'Strange' to play in front of 50,000 empty seats: Chelsea's Maresca
Only 22,000 fans were present at the 71,000-capacity arena. 17 Jun 2025 10:38am Two Chelsea's supporters sit in an empty tribune during the Club World Cup 2025 Group D football match between England's Chelsea and US Los Angeles FC at the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta. Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP ATLANTA - Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca labelled the atmosphere in his team's opening Club World Cup game on Monday "strange" after the Blues triumphed in front of nearly 50,000 empty seats. The UEFA Conference League winners defeated Los Angeles FC 2-0 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with only 22,000 fans present at the 71,000-capacity arena. "The environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty, not full," Maresca told reporters. "We are professional, we have to adapt to the situation, to the environment... "It's important the behaviour of the players, the attitude, and once again they showed how professional they are." Giant screen shows attendance during the Fifa Club World Cup 2025 group D match between Chelsea FC and Los Angeles Football Club at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 16, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Alex Grimm/AFP The Chelsea coach said his team had expected a larger crowd, but were hopeful they would get that in their second game against Flamengo of Brazil in Philadelphia. "We prepared this game also thinking that the environment was a bit different, but no doubt that the next one will be a nice one, because we know that the Brazilian teams, they always bring many, many fans," he added. Over 60,000 spectators attended the opening match between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Al Ahly on Saturday, while 80,000 were present at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday for the clash between UEFA Champions League winners Paris-Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid. Plenty of Boca Juniors fans created a raucous atmosphere later on Monday for their match against Benfica at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. With Chelsea playing at 3pm local time on a working Monday, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was under a third full. MLS side Atlanta United average nearly 45,000 fans at their matches and are the best supported US team. "PSG against Atletico, in front of a big crowd at the Rose I don't know if there's just more fans in Los Angeles who are into this tournament than here, or if it's the pairing tonight," said LA coach Steve Cherundolo. However the American said it was too early to judge FIFA's new expanded competition on the basis of just one match. "Regarding crowds I think it's kind of different each game you look at, so I don't think we should be talking about this right now," he added. "I think we should wait until the end of the tournament...(to make) an opinion about it as a whole, as opposed to one game." - AFP
