After Chelsea's 4-1 victory over Benfica in their round-of-16 tie of the Club World Cup on Saturday in Charlotte, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca questioned the decision to have the tournament in the United States.
With four minutes remaining in the match and the Blues up 1-0 courtesy of an unbelievable free kick from right back Reece James, Slovenian referee Slavic Vinčić stopped the match due to lightning in the area.
Two hours later, the match was able to resume and Ángel Di Maria, in his final match for the Lisbon side before returning to his boyhood club Rosario Central, tied the match in the fifth minute of stoppage time from the penalty spot.
However, in the 30 minutes of extra time, the west London club was able to capitalize on its one-man advantage after 19-year-old attacker Gianluca Prestianni received a second yellow card in the 92nd minute. From there, goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall secured Chelsea a spot in the quarterfinals, where it will face Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras.
Despite the victory, Maresca was not particularly keen on the circumstances of the match, specifically how the weather delay affected his side once it returned to the field.
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"After the break, the game changed completely," the Italian manager told reporters. "I think it's a joke to be honest, it's not football. It's not for us. You cannot be inside [for so long]."
Maresca, who will be entering his second season in charge of the iconic club, then questioned the U.S. being a host for the tournament after Saturday's game was the sixth match in the competition that dealt with a weather delay.
[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; General view inside the stadium after referee Slavko Vincic signals a weather delay to the match during a round of 16 match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Bank of America Stadium.
"It's completely something new but I struggle to understand. I can understand that for security reasons, you have to suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition."
Next up, Chelsea prepares to face Palmeiras on Friday in Philadelphia. The São Paulo club is fresh off a 1-0 extra-time victory over fellow Brazilian side Botafogo at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday.
Chelsea is no stranger to the City of Brotherly Love, as the club has been using the facilities of the Philadelphia Union to train, as well as playing a group stage match against ES Tunis in the city.
In fact, Philadelphia is where Maresca's first complaints about the country's weather began, detailing how it was "almost impossible" to train in oppressive heat.