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Gianni Infantino says FIFA will make use of covered stadiums during daytime matches at next year’s World Cup, after Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez described conditions at the Club World Cup as “very dangerous”.
FIFA’s flagship club competition has been beset by issues, with extreme heat and storms affecting several games in various host cities.
Chelsea’s semi-final victory over Fluminense at MetLife Stadium – the venue for the 2026 World Cup final – was played in temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius.
That prompted Fernandez to urge FIFA to alter the schedule of next year’s World Cup, ahead of Chelsea’s final meeting with Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
Sixteen venues have been selected for next year’s tournament, 11 of which are in the United States. However, several of those stadiums – including Arrowhead Stadium, Levi’s Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and MetLife Stadium – are at least partly exposed to the elements.
Speaking at a news conference at Trump Tower in Manhattan, Infantino said: “Every criticism we receive is a source for us to study and analyse what we can do better.”
“Of course, the heat is an issue. Last year, at the Olympic Games in Paris, games during the day, in all sports, took place in very hot conditions.
“Cooling breaks are very important and we will see what we can do, but we have stadiums with roofs, and we will definitely use these stadiums during the day next year.”
Pedro Neto bringing the heat. pic.twitter.com/GVfORkd8Cv
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 9, 2025
Infantino, who confirmed US President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s final, also claimed several teams that did not qualify for the Club World Cup had requested invitations.
“I’ve been speaking to teams from Europe who came here, and all have been very happy,” he said.
“Some teams from Europe who didn’t qualify called us and asked if they could participate.
“Of course, we would love Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, AC Milan and Barcelona here, but there is a qualifying criteria.
“We will see what the future will bring us. We will make this better. We have had criticisms, and we must do better.
“Should the country limits be two or four teams? There are many elements we can think about. For now, we go ahead again with this in 2029 and we will see.”
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