‘I was really dizzy’: Enzo Fernández reveals scare in heat of Club World Cup

Enzo Fernández has said that the high temperatures at the Club World Cup are dangerous and revealed that he needed to lie down during Chelsea’s win over Fluminense because the heat left him feeling “really dizzy”.

The Argentina midfielder is the latest player to criticise the tournament’s scheduling and call for Fifa to make changes before the World Cup takes place in Canada, Mexico and the US next summer.

Challenging weather conditions in the US have been a major talking point during the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup. Thunderstorms have caused delays to games, and teams have also had to deal with mid-afternoon kick-offs in intense heat.

Temperatures were high when Chelsea faced Fluminense at 3pm in the first semi-final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last Thursday. Local authorities had issued a heat warning and Fernández, who was conducting media duties before Chelsea face Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final, saying that he needed treatment in the second half will heap pressure on Fifa to consider late kick-off times at the 2026 World Cup.

“The heat is incredible,” Fernández said. “The other day I got a bit dizzy during a play. I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy. Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it’s very dangerous.

“Moreover, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, for the people who watch it at home. The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow. Well, let’s hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?”

Levi Colwill agreed that the heat has led to slower games. “If you turn the game into a basketball match in this heat, it’s not going to help anyone,” the Chelsea centre-back said. “You have to control the ball way more, pick the right times to attack and try to score.”

There was an attempt to ask Fernández, who spoke and fielded questions exclusively in Spanish, about him singing a homophobic and racist song after Argentina’s Copa América triumph last year, but the 24-year-old did not appear to understand the question.

Chelsea are underdogs before facing PSG but have been boosted by Moisés Caicedo shaking off an ankle injury. Roméo Lavia did not train again and Noni Madueke has left the camp to complete a £52m move to Arsenal. Bournemouth have agreed a £25m deal to sign the Chelsea goalkeeper, Djordje Petrovic.