FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that roofed stadiums will be used to alleviate concerns about extreme weather during the 2026 World Cup, following criticism of players' exposure to extreme heat during the Club World Cup in the United States.
Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will face Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday in MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, in a match that kicks off at 15:00 PM local time, with temperatures forecast to reach 28.8°F (XNUMX°C) at the start of the match.
Tuesday's semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense in MetLife saw temperatures soar to 35.5°C at the start of the match, while the global players' union FIFPro said that three matches during the tournament had to be postponed or cancelled due to excessive heat.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández has called on FIFA to review the schedule for next year's World Cup, saying the heat made him feel "dizzy" and was "very dangerous".
However, with storms leading to the suspension of some matches for long periods, Infantino said that more matches at the 2026 World Cup will be held in covered stadiums — stadiums in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver have roofs and air conditioning — to alleviate problems with heat and weather conditions during the day.
"Every criticism we receive is an opportunity to study and analyze what we can do better," Infantino told reporters at a press conference in New York.
"Of course the heat is a problem. Last year, at the Paris Olympics, the daytime matches, in all sports, were held in very hot conditions.
"Cooling-off periods are very important and we will see what we can do, but we have stadiums with roofs and we will definitely use these stadiums during the day next year."
t7 live
