FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Global players’ union FIFPRO has raised concerns over the effect of intense heat during the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States by saying that two games — Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid and Chelsea vs. Esperance — should have been postponed due to temperatures exceeding their maximum recommended threshold.
The soaring temperatures has led, according to FIFPRO, to players contacting their national unions during the tournament and the organisation’s medical experts have called on FIFA to rule out midday kickoffs in some cities prone to high temperatures during the 2026 men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Several games during the Club World Cup have been disrupted and delayed by thunderstorms, including a two-hour stoppage in Chelsea’s 4-1 round-of-16 win against Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday.
Players and coaches, including Atlético forward Marcos Llorente and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, have spoken out about the conditions.
FIFPRO medical director, Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, has said that PSG’s win against Atlético in Pasadena and Chelsea’s victory against Esperance in Philadelphia should both have been called off due to temperatures exceeding FIFPRO’s 28 degree Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) — a scientific formula calculated from multiple meteorologic parameters.
FIFA’s guideline WBGT limit is 32 degrees.
“In our position, obviously we have a threshold where the game should be postponed and rescheduled,” Gouttebarge told reporters. “The answer is quite straightforward, of course. The threshold? It is a WBGT of 28 degrees.
“According to our position, these games [PSG vs. Atleti/Chelsea vs. Esperance] should have been postponed to a better place in the day and, if not available [another slot], then rescheduled.”
FIFPRO has used meteorological data to assess potential issues during the 2026 World Cup and highlighted the risk of playing games at midday in cities such as Miami and Orlando. Miami will host 2026 World Cup matches but Orlando will not.
And with discussions ongoing with FIFA, Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO director of policy and strategic relations and general secretary Alex Phillips have urged FIFA to schedule games in those cities for evening kickoffs.
“We know obviously from the chart Vincent [Gouttebarge] showed previously that there are certain areas in a country that will be more at risk,” Bielefeld said.
“So think about match destinations such as Orlando or Miami for example, where you can see over a period of years that there’s a higher risk attached to these venues and destinations.
“The question is if we actually need midday kickoff times in these locations or in these high risk areas, if we should probably move towards late kickoff times as a preference for these venues.
“There’s a question at some point what the industry sees as a threshold and as a precautionary threshold to players, but also to spectators, to potentially delay kickoff times.”
Phillips said FIFPRO will “plead” with FIFA to ensure that their concerns are heard and acted upon.
“We will, yeah, plead if you like,” Phillips said. “We will use common sense arguments. We can use the MLS protocols — they don’t play matches at midday in Florida, for example, and haven’t done for a number of years.
“So those kind of arguments are strong and we will try and use them as best we can.”
MLS’ WBGT limit is 29 degrees.
Meanwhile, Phillips confirmed that some players at the Club World Cup have expressed concerns over a number of issues to their unions.
“We have players who have been in touch with their unions on these issues,” he said. “But it’s a matter for the unions to disclose that.”
