World Cup Heat Temperatures Juventus Europe Hot
iStockphoto / © Hannah Mckay-Reuters via Imagn Images
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader
Audio By Carbonatix
I fully expect a South American national team to win the World Cup in 2026 based on how the European clubs like Juventus handled the extreme temperatures at the Club World Cup. They are so soft.
This continued struggle with heat is going to be a real problem next summer.
Juventus lost its Round of 16 soccer match to Real Madrid at the Club World Cup on Tuesday. The match was played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where temperatures peaked at 88 degrees Fahrenheit. It proved too hot for the Italians. They could not withstand what most Floridians would consider “mild” heat for summer, if we’re being real.
Juve boss Igor Tudor revealed after the 1-0 loss that 10 of his players asked to be substituted out of the match due to fatigue. He attributed their exhaustion, in large part, to the weather.
The conditions were really difficult today. Ten players asked me to be replaced. They were really tired. There are a lot of factors that weighed into that. It is the end of a long season and there was a lot of stress on the players that takes their energy. The conditions that they played with were really difficult — the humidity too. All of these conditions make it much more difficult. And the heat — that was another thing that made it more difficult.
— Igor Tudor
The heat, plus the humidity, plus the high intensity of a knockout stage match left Juventus players completely exhausted. However, teams are allowed a maximum of five substitutions at the Club World Cup so only half of the players who wanted off had their requests granted.
This has been a reoccurring theme over the last few weeks, which creates legitimate issues for European national teams at the World Cup next year. Clubs from Europe have struggled to acclimate to the high temperatures — which were even more elevated than usual because of a lingering “heat dome” across the United States. Borussia Dortmund hid its full bench in the locker room during the match to keep them out of the heat. 33 of 56 games required cooling breaks. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was furious with the decision to play this tournament in the U.S. during summer.
I’m not naive to the idea that hot is hot is hot. I live in Nashville and I witnessed the extreme heat first-hand during a match between Boca and Auckland last week. I get it. Extreme heat is exhausting.
But with that being said, 88 degrees in Miami could be a lot worse. 90 degrees in Tennessee is pretty standard. 84 degrees in Ohio is no big deal.
Only European clubs expressed a problem with the weather. They are soft compared to their South American and even Middle Eastern and African counterparts. This will be a real storyline to watch at the World Cup in 2026. It’s going to be hot. How will the European international teams fare?