World Cup 2026 fears as weather expert warns England stars to prepare for lengthy suspensions
ENGLAND stars have been warned to prepare for frequent delays at the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc at the Club World Cup
.
FIVE HOURS
to complete after the match was suspended
due to "the risk of
lightning
in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium".
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Fears are growing over the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc at the Club World Cup.
4
Extreme weather has disrupted the first two weeks of the Club World Cup
It was the
summer
thunderstorms, with players, staff and fans pulled indoors for two hours.
Both teams were forced to keep fresh on training bikes in the dressing rooms, while fans were kept into the concourse,
with the Blues 1-0 up with four minutes remaining thanks to
' free-kick.
When it finally restarted,
Angel Di Maria
equalised with a controversial stoppage-time penalty to take the game to extra-time, only for
,
Pedro
Neto
and
to seal
Chelsea
's win.
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And now
weather
experts have warned world
football
to prepare for the same at
next
summer
's World Cup - hosted across the
USA
, Canada and
Mexico
.
National
Weather
Service official Ben Schott, who advises
Fifa
and the US World Cup taskforce for 2026, says teams should plan accordingly.
A recent study published by the International Journal of Biometeorology warned of the risk posed by extreme heat for players and spectators.
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The study concluded that 14 of the 16 host cities being used for the 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.
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The study argued for games to be scheduled outside of the afternoon windows when conditions were typically at their most fierce.
England don't have the best history - or experience - of performing well in extreme heat.
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Thomas Tuchel is already preparing for the extreme weather at the 2026 World Cup
Chelsea vs Benfica SUSPENDED with just five minutes left as referee takes players off due to severe lightning storm
But
ESPN reported on Tuesday that
to recreate the temperatures they will likely face next June.
While roasting heat was an issue when the US last hosted the World Cup in 1994, no games at that tournament were halted by storm warnings because the
technology
hadn't been created by then.
Meanwhile,
dressing room
for the first-half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, rather than have them sitting out in the sunshine last week.
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SOME of the world's biggest clubs are in action at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States!
Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13.
The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane are showcasing their skills to packed crowds across the US.
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And Maresca cut short his team's training session in Philadelphia on Monday as the City of Brotherly Love baked in temperatures of 38C.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, said the
weather
could ultimately shape the
destiny
of the Club World Cup.
Kovac said: "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"
On Tuesday,
lightning
struck within 10 miles of a stadium.
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A
weather
delay in
Benfica
's game against Auckland led to an interruption in play of nearly two hours last week.
Fifa confirmed that a drinks break to give players the chance to take on fluids and cool down will take place at 30 minutes and 75 minutes if needed.
4
Drinks breaks are permitted in each half when temperatures soar
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The Irish Sun
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