An intense heat wave has settled over the USA. Borussia Dortmund chose to let their substitutes stay in the dressing room during the first half in a match in Cincinnati, to avoid the scorching sun on the bench.
In Philadelphia, Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca interrupted a training session in 37-degree heat.
I think this championship will be won by the team that best adapts to the weather conditions, not the best team, says Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac according to AFP.
Dortmund has now introduced extra measures: cold towels, ice baths and cooling of legs and feet.
The heat wave is a hint of what awaits in the World Championship 2026, which is played in the USA, Canada and Mexico. A recently published study in the International Journal of Biometeorology warns of the risk that extreme heat poses for both players and spectators.
The study shows that 14 of the 16 host cities for the World Championship 2026 often have temperatures that exceed safe limit values for heat stress.
"Should be prepared"
The Club World Cup has also been disrupted by thunderstorms, five matches have been stopped due to lightning.
Ben Schott, an expert at the US National Weather Service who advises the International Football Federation (Fifa) ahead of the World Championship 2026, says that the weather patterns are not unusual.
Even if we break records, it's nothing we haven't seen before. This happens almost every summer and something similar should be prepared for in the World Championship, he says.
Last time the men's World Championship was played in the USA, 1994, no matches were stopped due to bad weather – but the technology has developed significantly since then.
We can now predict the weather with higher accuracy up to a week in advance, says Schott.
In 1994, the Swedish bronze team experienced the heat.
It was incredibly hot. Up to 40 degrees. Especially in Dallas. The humidity was the most difficult, it was like a wall, says IFK Göteborg legend Mikael Nilsson to TT.
"Could lose up to five kilos"
Sweden adapted the training sessions to the heat.
We had to train with cold towels on our heads and save all energy for the matches. We didn't train 100 percent. The feet swell up in that heat.
Mikael Nilsson tells about how the players were weighed after the matches.
I'm not entirely sure, but I think some players could lose up to five kilos of their body weight during the matches.
Magnus Erlingmark, who was also part of the bronze team:
I lost two kilos just by sitting on the bench during a match, he says and continues:
It wasn't good. It would probably not be accepted in the same way today, I think.
The round of 16:
June 28, 18:00 Palmeiras-Botafogo
June 28, 22:00 Benfica-Chelsea
June 29, 18:00 PSG-Inter Miami
June 29: 22:00 Flamengo-Bayern München
June 30, 21:00 Inter-Fluminense
July 1, 03:00 Manchester City-Al-Hilal
July 1, 21:00 Real Madrid-Juventus
July 2, 03:00 Dortmund-Monterrey
The final will be played on July 13.
