One of the most eagerly awaited clashes in the group stage of the Club World Cup ended in a crushing 4-0 victory for PSG over Atlético de Madrid. The Spaniards were dominated in almost every aspect of the match and made numerous complaints about almost every refereeing decision.
The match had the biggest crowd of any weekend in the FIFA tournament, with more than 80,000 fans attending the Rose Bowl, even exceeding initial expectations. The match was also played at midday in Los Angeles, with temperatures well above 30 degrees Celsius during the match.
FIFA ordered stoppages of a few minutes in the first and second half in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms of the heat and avoid complaints from the players about the extreme summer heat in the United States. Even so, the losing side showed a lot of dissatisfaction, and Marcos Llorente was quick to criticize the staging of the Club World Cup in the heat.
PSG also bothered by heat at Rose Bowl
Llorente said that it was "horribly hot" and that he had "sore feet" after the match. Even though he signaled that the conditions were the same for everyone, he ended up venting his frustration in the post-match press microphones. It's worth noting that PSG coach Luis Enrique also expressed his dissatisfaction with the heat, saying that both teams "were influenced" by the temperature.
Although the heat was part of the match's involvement, it's important to note that Europe also has competitive matches taking place mainly in the harsh winter, with only the Bundesliga opting to halt its activities for a few weeks to prioritize player health.
There are no records of very hot temperatures during league matches, but there is plenty of summer activity in these countries. That's why players should be better prepared to deal with high temperatures if they have to be subjected to them in some matches, as Europe would certainly be annoyed if the schedule disfavored a match between two of the main countries.