Chelsea’s Fernández calls US heat dangerous, says FIFA should avoid afternoon World Cup kickoffs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández heads into Sunday’s Club World Cup final wary of the weather, along with Paris Saint-Germain.

“Honestly, the heat is incredible,” Fernandez said Friday. “The other day I got a little dizzy during a play. I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy. Playing in this temperature in very dangerous.”

FIFA slashed ticket prices again ahead of the final, as it has throughout the tournament.

Chelsea and PSG play starting at 3 p.m. EDT in MetLife Stadium, also site of next year’s World Cup final. Because of the heat, Fernandez recommended FIFA avoid afternoon kickoffs at the 2026 tournament.

“The speed of the game is not the same,” he said. “Everything becomes very slow. Well, let’s hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle.”

Temperature at kickoff is forecast to be 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) with humidity that will make it feel like 91 F (33 C).

“The game will be harder for the team that don’t have the ball,” Chelsea captain Reece James said. “I think we’ve played in it a fair amount now, so I’d say we’re slowly, slowly getting used to it.”

Both teams were allowed by FIFA not to have media availabilities on Saturday.

PSG seeks to complete a quadruple after winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and its first Champions League title.

Chelsea is trying for its second world championship after winning in 2021. The Blues have a fourth day of rest after beating Fluminense 2-0 on Tuesday, a day before PSG routed Real Madrid 4-0.

Lowest ticket prices dropped from $330 earlier in the week to $199.60 on Saturday.

“I agree with most of the people that they say that they are the best team in Europe, the best team in the world, and the reason why is because they are showing this — they show in France, they show in the Champions League, they are showing in this competition,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.

PSG clinched the French league title on April 5 with six games to spare, won the French Cup on May 24 and the Champions League a week later, romping over Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.

“We really want to go grab this title and this would make it an absolutely perfect season, which would be very hard to replicate,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “We really want to make history.”

Chelsea had a more modest season, finishing fourth in the Premier League, losing to Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup, to Newcastle in the fourth round of the League Cup and winning the third-tier UEFA Conference League.

“Everyone is picking up our opposition,” James said. “We are preparing right and we are going to win.”

NOTES: Maresca said winger Noni Madueke had left the team to sign elsewhere.

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