Five stadiums that hosted the Club World Cup will also stage matches at next year’s World Cup, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and Lumen Field in Seattle. During the tournament, multiple regions across the U.S. were hit by extreme heat and thunderstorms, which emerged as the biggest variables disrupting the rhythm of matches. Under U.S. regulations, games must be suspended when lightning is detected within a 10-mile radius, with play resuming only 30 minutes after the last lightning strike. This led to delays in six matches, with the longest interruption lasting two hours.
Notably, the match between Chelsea and Benfica was halted with just 4 minutes remaining, and the two sides only settled the result in extra time. After the game, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said, “This isn’t football; it’s something entirely new. If seven or eight matches in a tournament get interrupted, maybe this place simply isn’t suitable for hosting competitions.”
Extreme heat also proved torturous for participating teams. Temperatures in New York soared to 39°C, with humidity pushing the heat index above 50°C. Fifpro, the professional footballers' union, warned that 9 out of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face “extreme” or “very high” heat stress risks. To cope with the sweltering conditions, teams had to shorten training sessions, and some substitutes even watched the first half from the locker room to avoid the heat.
While some matches drew full crowds – such as the final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, which attracted 81,118 spectators – many others saw sparse attendance, with one game drawing just 3,412 fans. A number of fixtures were scheduled for midday or 3 PM on weekdays, limiting turnout.
U.S. media noted that it is not that Americans are uninterested in football, but rather that the match times were unreasonable, and coupled with the Club World Cup’s lack of established influence in the U.S., many people prefer to save money for the 2026 World Cup. Additionally, the dynamic pricing policy came under heavy criticism: tickets for Chelsea vs. Palmeiras once reached £250 but dropped to £8 just days before the match.
Most American football stadiums required temporary conversion to football pitches, resulting in significant differences in pitch quality and ball speed compared to European standards. England internationals Jude Bellingham and Reece James publicly complained that the pitches were too short and dry, likening them to “golf greens,” which hindered high-tempo play. The Dortmund manager also pointed out that pitch quality varied drastically between cities, with some stadiums lacking sufficient watering, severely disrupting the rhythm of matches.
Unlike the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where venues were concentrated and transportation was convenient, the U.S.’s vast size means the 2026 tournament will span a large area, creating significant transportation pressures. Some stadiums are far from subway systems, forcing spectators to walk for dozens of minutes or wait for taxis in extreme heat – MetLife Stadium was a particular culprit, while Hard Rock Stadium in Miami also saw difficulties in post-match exits due to shuttle bus issues and road closures.
In terms of security, with former U.S. President Donald Trump attending the Club World Cup final, security was upgraded to the highest level: the Secret Service was present with armed personnel, and snipers were deployed on stadium rooftops. Frequent checks were conducted around the venue, and sniffer dogs wore booties to avoid heat burns. The security standards were comparable to those of a national-level event, adding further variables to the final.
