Club World Cup heat 'very dangerous' - Fernandez

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez said he has felt "dizzy" while playing in "very dangerous" heat at the Club World Cup in the United States.

The 24-year-old has featured in all six of Chelsea's matches en route to the final against Paris St-Germain in New Jersey on Sunday.

Three of Chelsea's games were played in temperatures described as "extreme heat", with local weather warnings urging people against involvement in strenuous physical activity or being outside.

In New Jersey, where Sunday's final takes place, temperatures have reached 38C in recent days.

Manager Enzo Maresca has complained it is "impossible" to have a normal training session because of the heat, despite reaching the final of the lucrative and newly-expanded tournament.

When asked about the experience of playing at the Club World Cup, Fernandez said: "Honestly, the heat is incredible. The other day I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy.

"Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it's very dangerous. Moreover, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, for the people who watch it at home.

"The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow."

Players and managers have also complained about afternoon kick-off times throughout the tournament, which are designed in part to help TV audiences in Europe and Africa watch matches at convenient times.

Fernandez, who is likely to be in Argentina's squad at the 2026 World Cup across North America, added: "Well, let's hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?"

PSG manager Luis Enrique said "it is not good for the show" before their 4-0 semi-final win over Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill added: "Some places have been really hot, the last round was hot and I was stuck watching it and I was thinking: 'wow, this is so tough.' I felt bad for them but they managed it really well."

On Thursday, former Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann, now on Fifa's technical study group, recalled punishing conditions in Dallas during the 1994 World Cup in the United States, but said teams must adapt.

"The heat is difficult. If you play in 90 degree [Fahrenheit; 32C] heat then you are going to suffer," Klinsmann said. "I played in Dallas at 120 degrees [49C] and I was dying!

"We were leading 3-0 at half time, then South Korea came back and made it 3-2 and if we had been on the pitch for another five minutes it would have been 3-3.

"But do I go to Qatar like Germany and complain, complain and bring karma - and then go home early? The teams here now and the teams here next summer who get the draw here in July and July next summer will have to adapt.

"But there will be two teams in the game. It's not always nice, especially for European teams but they will have to adapt."

In a statement on the heat last week, Fifa said: "Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally.

"At the Club World Cup some significant and progressive measures are being taken to protect the players from the heat. For instance, cooling breaks were implemented in 31 out of 54 matches so far.

"Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively and Fifa stands ready to facilitate this dialogue, including through the task force on player welfare, and to receive constructive input from all stakeholders on how to further enhance heat management.

"In all of this, the protection of players must be at the centre."