Chelsea cut short its training session on Monday in Philadelphia ahead of a key FIFA Club World Cup match against Tunisian side ES Tunis due to soaring temperatures.
The Blues trained at Subaru Park, the home of Major League Soccer (MLS) team Philadelphia Union, on the eve of their final group game at the Club World Cup, which will be played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Temperatures reached a high of 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsius) at around 1:30 p.m. ET. in Philadelphia on Monday, with a heat index – a scale used to measure what the body actually feels – of 110 (43.3 degrees Celsius) at that time.
And in an effort to help protect his players from the heat, manager Enzo Maresca decided to limit the time they spent on the field, training in the shaded areas of the stadium. The club also put fans near the pitch, blowing water onto the field.
“It is almost impossible to train or to make a session because of the weather,” Maresca told reporters on Monday. “Now, we are trying just to save energy for the game. This morning’s session has been very, very, very short. It’s been just about tomorrow’s game, planning for tomorrow, and that’s it.”
The current heat wave is exacerbated by a potent heat dome which has built over the US, bringing the hottest temperatures of the year so far – the hottest in years for some cities – and putting tens of millions at risk.
Those in areas from the Midwest to the East Coast will face a level 4 of 4 extreme heat risk through at least Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
High temperatures across the Plains, Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast are expected to hit at least 15 degrees above normal and will mark the hottest temperatures of the year to date, rising well into the 90s. With humidity, it could feel as hot as 110 degrees – especially in the mid-Atlantic.
“It’s difficult to work with these temperatures, but we are here and we trying to do our best and we will try to win tomorrow,” Maresca said. “It’s impossible to do a normal session.”
Heat remains the deadliest form of extreme weather in the US, contributing to more than 800 deaths annually on average since 1999, a 2023 study found.
According to CNN, temperatures in Philadelphia are expected to reach a record of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday, surpassing the previous high of 99 set in 1923.
Chelsea’s game against Tunisian league champion ES Tunis will kick off at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, with a win or a draw securing a spot in the last 16. Temperatures are forecast to be around 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.7 degrees Celsius) at the time of kickoff, with a heat index of around 105 (40.6 degrees Celsius).
CNN has contacted FIFA – the organizers of the Club World Cup – to ask whether it has considered making any new accommodations to help players with the heat.
The soaring temperatures across the US have also affected the Club World Cup and other sporting events in recent days.
Matches across FIFA’s newly revamped competition have implemented water breaks midway through each half, but players have still struggled in the high temperatures.
“It’s impossible. The heat is terrible. My toenails were hurting, I couldn’t stop and accelerate,” Atlético Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente said during his team’s game against Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the tournament. “It’s unbelievable, but as it’s the same for everyone, there’s no excuse.”
In Major League Baseball, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton both fell ill in their respective games over the weekend, with De La Cruz vomiting in the outfield during the fourth inning.
Thornton had to be treated by emergency medical technicians after he began suffering from heat exhaustion.
On Sunday, Seattle Mariners first baseman Donovan Solano said he drank a lot of water with salt during the Mariners’ victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
“I don’t need to move, I don’t move. It’s that simple,” he said. “Because everybody wasn’t prepared for this weather. It was hot, so we have to be smart with how you use your energy.”
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