Heatwave at Club World Cup serves as warning for real thing next summer
A punishing heatwave is significantly impacting the current FIFA Club World Cup, causing players to struggle and teams to implement extreme measures like using air-conditioned locker rooms for substitutes.
Athletes describe the heat as 'impossible,' leading to cut-short practices, while fans endure challenging conditions, prompting health warnings due to risks like dehydration and heat stroke.
FIFA mandates cooling breaks when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reaches 89.6 degrees, a practice that became more common after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was first introduced at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The current heat serves as a stark preview for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where many host cities experience high summer temperatures and potential hurricane seasons.
This heatwave highlights a growing climate challenge for future FIFA tournaments, including the 2030 World Cup and 2027 Women's World Cup, drawing criticism from groups like Fossil Free Football for FIFA's scheduling and sponsorship choices.
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Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Two killed and Paris floods as violent storm breaks France's heatwave
A child was among two people killed as violent winds, lightning strikes and flash-floods wreaked havoc across France on Wednesday night. Water gushed down the streets of the capital, trapping cars and forcing Parisians and tourists to run for cover as they were taken by surprise when the deluge hit at the end of another day of extreme heat. Rain also leaked through the roof of the National Assembly, with firefighters called to investigate while ministers suspended their talks on the conflict in the Middle East. Fierce winds caused the deaths of two people on Wednesday night. One man, aged 59, was killed when his motorbike hit a fallen tree in Mayenne, in France's north-west, according to Le Parisien newspaper. A 12-year-old boy died after being hit by a falling tree while cooling off by a river in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne where winds of 114km/hr were recorded during the afternoon. Parisian firefighters responded to 40 reports of fallen tress. They said no one had been hurt. By midnight, more than 39,000 lightning strikes had been recorded across France and Belgium, weather tracking website Lightning Maps reported. The storms brought only a slight reprieve from temperatures of up to 40C recorded during France's first heatwave of the summer – and extreme heat is expected again over the weekend and early next week. The heatwave has been 'remarkable for its intensity' and 'early arrival,' as only three other heatwaves have ever started earlier in the year, Météo-France forecaster Tristan Amm told Le Monde earlier this week. Metéo France said on Wednesday night the thunderstorms would 'ease overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, moving out through the northern and northeastern borders'. Thunderstorms to hit UK Residents of south-east England have been warned to prepare for 'lightning, hail, and heavy rain' before storms clear later on Thursday. 'Elsewhere through Thursday, rain will move eastwards across the UK, clearing to showers, with some sunny spells breaking through at times,' Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen added. 'Friday will start dry in the east, with rain moving in from the west, becoming showery later.' Many parts of the UK will stay dry, Mr Gunderson said, adding that a patch of rain would likely move south-east and east by Saturday. Sunday is due to see 'variable cloud and showers' in the north, with 'patchy rain and drizzle' in the west, but otherwise it will be dry with sunny spells, he added. Parts of the south are set to hit highs of 30C over the weekend, which would be hotter than Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, according to forecasts.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Dean Smith lifts the lid on his new life with Charlotte FC, being 'second dad' to Jack Grealish and which Aston Villa star is 'irreplaceable'
Sheltered away from the brutal heat wave that has swept across America, Dean Smith 's office at the training ground of Charlotte FC is his home away from home. Across the Atlantic, England are pulling off a memorable run chase against India in Leeds and here in North Carolina, we watch the Sky Sports coverage unfold on the big screen inside. 'I love my cricket, I'm a big Warwickshire fan,' Smith tells Mail Sport with his strong Brummie accent. 'I know Woakesy (Chris Woakes) and a few of the other lads like Belly (Ian Bell) well from my time at Aston Villa. They're all big Villa fans.' Smith is of course a Villa supporter too and the man who led them back to the Premier League in 2019. Inevitably, there is an overwhelming sense of happiness, seeing his side play European football and the likes of Emi Martinez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey amongst others thrive at Villa. All were signed and nurtured under Smith, during his stint as Villa boss between 2018 and 2021. 'It gives me great pride. Seeing all those guys I worked with improve, get opportunities, earn more money and ultimately play better,' he says. 'I remember telling Ezri (Konsa) when I left that he's got 18 months to get in the England squad or else I'm allowed a free punch and he texted me back when he got in the squad. But it's great to see what Unai (Emery) has done. And it's what I expected with the ownership because Nassef (Sawiris) and Wes (Edens) were really intent on their five year plan of getting to Europe.' The journey of Thomas Frank is one of pride too for Smith, who interviewed him for the assistant manager role at Brentford in 2016 and was left in little doubt by the Dane. When Smith left Brentford for Villa, Frank took over. 'I'm so pleased too for Thomas. He's earned the right (to be Tottenham manager) and I wish him the best,' the 54-year-old says. For Smith, who has managed Charlotte FC since December 2023, that idea of helping to build clubs like he did at both Brentford and Villa is very much why he came here in the first place. The Atrium Health Performance Park in East Charlotte is where we meet and a place which played a major role in Smith taking the job in December 2023, when the club was barely three years old. The opportunity came after a dinner with Zoran Krneta, the club's sporting director, when Smith was in the US to visit his son, Jamie, who was at college in the States. 'Once I saw the facilities, I was more than happy to go,' says Smith. It is a spacious modern hub which houses the first-team, the academy and the entire business operations staff. He describes it as 'top grade' for a club that is still only in its fourth MLS season. The clear ambition for Smith is to 'win a trophy' here. 'Last year was really good. We had our first home playoff game in front of 40 odd thousand,' he says. They won at the Bank of America Stadium, which is also home of the Carolina Panthers, but eventually lost on penalties in a best-of-three format to Orlando SC in Florida. 'I find it mad that there's no away fans but that's because there's so much distance. So there's no huge rivalries and you can't really manufacture that. That's a big difference for me,' he admits. Every away game involves a flight. 'It's like flying once or twice a week to Switzerland, to Scandinavia and so on,' says Smith. 'But above all, it's a good football city, with a fantastic stadium, great fans and there's good people at the club and that's the important thing,' he insists. Smith signed a new contract earlier this year to extend his stay till 2027, joking that they already named a highway after him. Search up his name on Google in these parts and the first thing that comes up is Dean Smith, a longtime North Carolina college basketball coach, who has a section of Interstate 40 named after him. A tour through the HQ gives you a feel of the collaborative culture within the club, with all of the departments easily accessible. Inside his office, Smith operates from a standing desk. The Learning Zone, named by Smith, is where press conferences take place and also where they deliver video analysis. 'One of my big things is to help players learn. I believe our job as coaches is like a teacher and to get the best out of them,' Smith says. 'We did it at Brentford where we changed the video room into a learning zone. I constantly ask questions. If I don't, then I don't know what the players know. I need to know what they know before I can coach them any further,' he insists. So how does it feel, quality wise? Last year, he described it as 'top-ten Championship' but believes that for the MLS to improve, it must adapt. 'It's hard to assess because it would be tough for Premier League clubs to come and play in this heat. England have got to be ready for the heat next year, for sure. This is a summer league but it needs to change to become a winter league because the marketplace is not good for us,' he says. 'A lot of clubs are very similar because of the salary cap but there's also some that can sprinkle more stardust than others. The current system is difficult to grasp and needs simplifying. If we want to become one of the best leagues in the world, we need to keep adapting to become better,' he adds. Talking about stardust, there is a player in his side that fits the bill in Wilfried Zaha, currently on loan from Galatasaray. The 32-year-old joined in January after meeting with Smith in London and scored on his debut. 'He wasn't playing and we felt there was a player who could come and do really well in the MLS. We really liked what he was about. I could tell he was frustrated and felt like he was missing time, having had such a successful period at Crystal Palace and what was a good start at Galatasaray,' says Smith. 'There's a lot of talk externally here, expecting Wilf to come and score 15 goals in 20 games but that's not the reality. I keep saying he's not played for nine months and what would that make the league look like if he did. But he's grown and I feel we'll see the best of him towards the end of the season,' he stresses. It leads us to the topic of another winger in Jack Grealish, who calls Smith his 'second dad' and like Zaha, needs to be playing regularly again after falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola. Smith gave Grealish the captaincy at Villa and helped lay the foundations for his £100M move to Manchester City in 2021. The pair spoke last week when Smith was back in the UK. 'We keep in touch regularly. He's a wonderful person but he's an unbelievable player too. What I want to see is him playing football again because if he does, he'll be a star for England at the World Cup,' says Smith. 'Thomas (Tuchel) wants him playing and if he is, I'm sure he'll get back in the England team. I just told him to keep calm, keep fit and be ready for whatever challenge is out there. Thomas said he's one player that can take the ball in any situation. The bigger, the better for Jack and that's what England need - players that can handle the football. Just look at when Man City won the Champions League and played Real Madrid away and he was the one demanding the ball. He needs to go to a club but it's also who can afford him with PSR.' Inevitably, there is intrigue about his own boyhood club too with players he knows well like Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins potentially heading out of Villa Park this summer. 'Villa don't want to lose either of them and I don't think they can,' says Smith. 'My wife's not happy because we had one game in June so we missed Ollie's wedding and she was gutted we didn't go. He's another top lad that I keep in touch with and now Villa's Premier League top scorer. I think he's irreplaceable,' he says. As another Smith, Jamie, knocks off the winning runs at Headingley, our time comes to an end as Smith has a flight to catch for a game in Kansas, before a trip to Chicago this weekend - this week will see Charlotte clock up around 4,000 miles of travel. Tough but all good preparation for his trip to Australia in December, when Smith is planning to go with his wife for the Boxing Day Ashes Test in Melbourne. By then, the MLS season will be over and he'll be hoping he can head down under with some silverware.
The Herald Scotland
41 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Pep Guardiola hits out at Pierluigi Collina over Rico Lewis suspension
He received an automatic one-match ban, ruling him out Sunday's encounter with Al Ain, but that was increased by tournament organiser FIFA following a disciplinary review. Lewis (left) did not finish the game against Wydad after being sent off late on (Derik Hamilton/AP) Guardiola, who felt the initial sending-off was harsh given that both players slid in together and contact was accidental, believes the punishment is far too much. The City manager said: 'I don't know the boss for the referees, Collina? I didn't have the honour to talk to him. 'But I'm pretty sure referees don't know Rico. He's the sweetest, the kindest, and sometimes as a defender you have to say (to him), 'You have to be more aggressive'. 'It's an action that has no intention. I know the image can pretend to be but both (feet) are on the floor, and unfortunately he touched a little bit the lips. Pierluigi Collina is the chairman of FIFA's referees committee (Peter Morrison/PA) 'I know it can be apparently tough but it's Rico Lewis, right? So I can (understand) with another type of player – but it is what it is. 'If they make it three games he has more time to rest, be on the beach, at home with his girlfriend, and he will be back hopefully if we go through in the next games. 'But I know Rico and never, never, never is it his intention to hurt anyone. But if FIFA want to show how serious they are, OK. We accept the three games and move on.' Guardiola was speaking ahead of City's final group game against Juventus in Orlando on Thursday. City have already qualified for the last 16 but are behind Juve on goals scored and will need to beat the Italians to be sure of avoiding the winners of Real Madrid's group in the next round. Teenager Claudio Echeverri will also sit out the clash at the Camping World Stadium with an ankle injury and looks set to miss the rest of the tournament. Echeverri's impressive performance against Al Ain was cut short by injury (Mike Stewart/AP) The Argentinian impressed in the first half of the 6-0 victory over Al Ain in Atlanta, scoring from a free-kick, but was forced off at half-time. Guardiola said: 'He has problems in the ankle – two to three weeks out, unfortunately. I feel so sorry for him.' The game will take place at 3pm local time when the temperature is forecast to reach 33C, although there is a possibility of thunderstorms. Guardiola said: 'It's two big clubs and hopefully there will be people. Hopefully we can do a good game and the people can come. Bring water, hats and towels on the necks. It will be tough.'
