'Like a sauna' - weather concerns continue at Club World Cup
As well as the danger posed by the heat to players, staff and supporters, from a scheduling point of view there will be concerns about the delays to games.
Four of the first 21 games faced waits ranging from 40 minutes to two-and-a-half hours for thunder and lightning storms and heavy rain.
Broadcasters will not be happy with the potential for overlapping matches at the 2026 World Cup.
Benfica v Auckland City was due to conclude an hour before Chelsea's match against Flamengo started - but ended up finishing well after the final whistle had been blown in the Blues' defeat.
"This is the longest game of my career," said Benfica coach Bruno Lage. "A special thanks to our fans, who have been here for five hours supporting the team.
"We played as well as we could. The temperature made it very difficult."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Emi Martinez 'pushing for Man Utd move' after Andrea Onana update
Emiliano Martinez continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United whilst Marcus Rashford is ready to return to his boyhood club despite his issues with Ruben Amorim Manchester United's summer has made a lot of noise but so far the only major transfer to take place in the arrival of Matheus Cunha - who joined from Wolves for just over £60million. The Red Devils remain on the hunt for more firepower but look as if they could miss out on Viktor Gyokeres, who would prefer to head elsewhere. The club are keen on Bryan Mbeumo but have had offers rejected as Brentford hold out for their hefty asking price. A new goalkeeper could also be on Ruben Amorim 's radar after seeing Andre Onana make a number of notable errors. He has been linked with the exit door despite having a desire to prove he can cut in at Old Trafford. Replacements have been eyed though with World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez cited as a possible summer target. His future has been the subject of speculation, even if Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has dismissed any suggestion he could leave. Here's the latest transfer rumours from the red side of Manchester. Martinez holding out for move Martinez is already sold on the idea of joining United this summer and is said to have rebuffed offers from 'big-hitters' in the hope of pushing through a dream switch to Old Trafford. There has been speculation that Martinez could move on with Villa potentially needing to sell in order to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules. The Sun now claims that Martinez is 'desperate' to push through a move to United despite the fact that the Red Devils are coming off the back of their worst ever Premier League campaign. And it's even been suggested that the Villa star has ignored offers from other top clubs in order to remain available for United. A source told the publication: 'Emi is big pals with Argentina team-mate Lisandro Martinez and is keen to move. He has already knocked back a couple of big hitters in the hope of joining United. Rashford's return plan Marcus Rashford is planning to return to training with United next month if a deal for him to leave the club hasn't been agreed, according to ESPN. The forward spent the last six months out on loan at Aston Villa after being frozen out under Amorim. No bids have yet been received despite well documented interest in Rashford and, as things stand, the 27-year-old will report back to Carrington to begin his pre-season preparations. It is understood that Amorim is yet to make a decision about whether Rashford and a number of the other fringe players will join the team on their summer tour to the United States. Antony, Alejandro Garnacho or Jadon Sancho all face uncertain futures and may not been included. Monaco eye two Prem keepers - including Onana Monaco are torn between pursing two Premier League goalkeepers but could yet offer Andre Onana a route out of Manchester after two difficult years. French outlet L'Equipe have claimed that Monaco are looking to add a new shotstopper to their squad. They want to upgrade their current options with Radoslaw Madecki and Philipp Kohn currently on their books. Onana is one player who has been shortlisted along with Chelsea's Djordje Petrovic. Onana has remained the No 1 at Old Trafford, albeit he was dropped briefly last term, whilst Petrovic has slipped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge as Robert Sanchez established himself as first choice. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Reds' Elly De La Cruz and Mariners reliever Trent Thornton fall ill while playing in extreme heat
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton got sick Saturday while playing in the extreme heat that covered much of the United States. De La Cruz vomited on the field with two outs in the fourth inning of Cincinnati 's extra-inning loss at the St. Louis Cardinals. He was checked on by a trainer, and two workers from the grounds crew cleaned up the area. The 23-year-old De La Cruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, stayed in the game and hit a two-run homer in the seventh. Thornton pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for Seattle before departing in the eighth in a 10-7 loss at the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old right-hander had to be helped from the field. Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Thornton had 'a little bit of a heat-related illness.' 'It was a scary moment, for sure,' Wilson said. 'He battled hard. But just really glad that he's feeling a little bit better now and should be OK.' The gametime temperature for Reds at Cardinals was 92 degrees, and it was 94 for the first pitch of the Mariners' loss to the Cubs. Milwaukee's game at Minnesota was played under an excessive heat warning. Seattle and Chicago finished their game with three umpires after Chad Whitson got sick. Dexter Kelley moved from second base to home plate. Whitson was treated in the Mariners' dugout. 'He came in, same kind of thing. Just was not feeling well,' Wilson said. 'Threw up a few times in the dugout and then they came and took care of him from there. The heat was a real thing today, for sure.' Whitson was dealing with some dehydration, but a Major League Baseball spokesman said he was doing better Saturday night and had been cleared to work third base for the series finale. A Wrigley Field staffer had a heat-related medical issue right after Saturday's game, according to a spokesman for the Cubs. He was tended to by medical personnel and walked off the field on his own. The Cubs set up cooling and misting stations throughout Wrigley to help fans with the heat on Saturday, along with additional emergency personnel. The team had similar plans in place for Sunday, along with bringing in a city bus to use as a cooling station on the street. ___
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would consider managing in South America
Pep Guardiola has said he would be happy to manage a team in South America. The Manchester City boss is revelling in the multi-cultural atmosphere at the Club World Cup and admits the football in countries such as Brazil and Argentina holds huge appeal. Guardiola has not necessarily got any plans to leave the Etihad Stadium – and has two years remaining on his contract – but did not reject the idea when asked ahead of City's clash with Al Ain in Atlanta. The Spaniard said: 'Why not? Many, many good things in all history that happen in football – many, many good things – come from South America. 'You know, from Brazil – especially Brazil – Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay. I would say all the countries, many, many good things. 'The greatest players come from there, and after most of them come to Europe because of the opportunities economically and prestige. 'They're incredible. I love, love, love it when you're in this tournament and you play South American teams. 'This culture, the way their fans live every single action is what it is all about. We have to live this competition.' Guardiola has made clear he is taking the current tournament very seriously. City side opened their campaign at the expanded global event in the United States with a comfortable 2-0 win over Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca on Wednesday. They return to action – and can secure a place in the last 16 – when they take on Al Ain of Abu Dhabi in Atlanta on Sunday night (2am Monday BST). The event has so far received a mixed reception, and there are concerns over how it could impact the start of the 2025-26 season, but Guardiola is determined not to hold anything back. He said: 'Once we are here, I want to be doing the best. I want to enjoy that moment here. 'We can say it's annoying coming here but the other side is like, well, it's one time every four years that we are here and I want to be back. You have to win big prizes to be here. 'I want to arrive in the last stages – I want to go there. That's the truth, I've said it many times. It is an honour to be here.' Guardiola has said that he would like to trim his squad for the next Premier League campaign and there has been speculation linking former captain Ilkay Gundogan with Galatasaray. The 34-year-old rejoined the club last summer after a one-year spell at Barcelona. Guardiola said: 'No news, good news. I don't know anything, I didn't speak with him. If he will not be part (of the squad), he would not be here. 'At the same time, we have – right now – too many players. Step by step maybe a few players are going to move. 'But, right now, Ilkay is absolutely part of my mind and the team.'
