Heat, interruptions, marathon games-the difficult climatic conditions at the club World Cup in the USA remain an issue and strengthen the concerns about the 2026 World Cup, which will also take place in the USA, but also in Mexico.
With Jügen Klopp there is the next big name in world football, which now expressed criticism of the club World Cup. The event bloated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino on four weeks and 32 teams, which takes place in the United States, is “The worst idea ever implemented in world football” Klopp, Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull, said in an interview with the “Welt am Sonntag”. An idea that only people could come up with, “Who have never had anything to do with day -to -day business or have nothing to do with it”Klopp continued.
After the European Championship in the previous year and the club World Cup, the large World Cup in North America is waiting for the coming summer, Klopp counted. For the players there is no longer time for relaxation, neither physically nor mentally, says Klopp, who designed a dark scenario. He was afraid that players “Sufficient injuries that they have never had. If not in the coming season, it will happen at the World Cup or afterwards.”
It will be exciting to observe whether Klopp will continue in the opposite for the big summer of FIFA. If, for example, RB Leipzig, another club from Red Bull’s football empire, also gets a starting place at the next tournament – and thus a guaranteed million bonus in a double -digit amount.
Oven heat, thunderstorm-club World Cup remains controversial
The club World Cup, also planted by FIFA boss Infantino with billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia in the middle of the football summer break, remains controversial. The difficult climatic conditions in many venues in the USA also provide discussions two weeks after the start.
So far, the oven heat in particular has been a big topic. Dortmund’s coach Niko Kovac spoke after the game against Mamelodi Sundowns from “irregular conditions” At temperatures of over 40 degrees. “We play football, but it has nothing to do with sport itself.“
BVB can play in a closed arena
In the round of 16, BVB is now allowed to take a short breath in the weather: The game against Monterrey takes place in Atlanta, in an air -conditioned, closed stadium, also the duel between PSG and Inter Miami is scheduled in Atlanta.
However, the other round of 16 games take place in traditional outdoor arenas, in the south-andtered south. Under these circumstances, thoughts of a possible distortion of competition in the further course of the tournament are certainly not entirely off hand.
Thunderstorm in Charlotte – marathon match over five hours
After various heat battles, on Saturday evening, at the round of 16 between Benfica and Chelsea in Charlotte, the warning of a severe storm was added – a phenomenon in the city in North Carolina with its damp, subtropical climate.
Storm break during the game between Benfica and Chelsea
Four minutes before the end of the regular playing time, at 1-0 for Chelsea, the game had to be interrupted due to the impending lightning strikes near the stadium. Dark storm clouds provided a scenery like in Gotham City. Players were sent to the cabin, two hours for beaten. The fans also had to get out of the stadium – many could not come back. When the game could be continued again, Benfica scored to equalize and forced an extension – in the end there were almost five hours between the kick -off and final whistle.
Chelsea coach Maresca: “USA not the right place”
This also brought the coach of the victorious team onto the palm: “This is not a football”Chelsea’s coach Enzo Maresca said and pointed out that six games had to be interrupted longer before, because of the difficult climatic conditions. The USA are “Not the right place“The Italian found that a club world championship.
A thunderstorm over Florida also slowed FC Bayern Munich before the round of 16 against CR Flamengo in Miami. The flight with the Bayern-Tross only arrived in Fort Lauderdale with more than two hours late on Saturday evening.
Dark forecasts for Hitze-WM 2026
The experience with the climate also confirms the concerns of the World Cup in the coming summer, which takes place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Tolerable conditions, comparable to Europe, can only be expected at the venues in Canada and in the northern parts of the United States. However, the majority of the venues are south of it, in a climate zone with wet-hot, subtropical or even tropical climate.
Many games at the World Cup are to be kicked off at noon or early afternoon, tailored to the European television market. A team from the Leibniz Institute for Labor Research at the TU Dortmund, which examined the climatic conditions at the World Cup venues, had already raised the alarm last year.
Study about World Cup stadiums: Feeling temporations up to 49.5 degrees Celsius
There is therefore in ten of the sixteen stages of sixteen stadiums “Very high risk of extreme heat load”. Deutschlandfunk quoted the perceived temperature for the athletes at some venues even 49.5 degrees Celsius that this was one for the players “No longer tolerable, health burden”.
FIFA, according to the recommendation, should basically think about moving the games into the evening as possible in order to escape at least the midday heat. Or to move the America World Cup to the climatically harmless, cooler season. But that should hardly be expected.