Featured Image Credit: Rich Storry / Stringer via Getty Images
Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Football, USA, FIFA Club World Cup
James Taylor
Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, Football, USA, FIFA Club World Cup
Lionel Messi could face a significant danger when his Inter Miami side kick off the upcoming Club World Cup.
The newly reformed Club World Cup kicks off on 15 June and runs through until 13 July.
There are 32 teams from six confederations battling to win the trophy.
Although the tournament has been controversial for expanding the already congested fixture list, it comes with an eye-watering prize fund of $1 billion.
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The 12 European representatives will be confident they can add the FIFA Club World Cup to their cabinets. These include Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich.
But other teams from around the world will be seeking to steal the show, such as River Plate, Boca Juniors and Al-Hilal.
There is now a growing concern however, that that the temperature in the USA could prove problematic for the players. The US National Weather Services have issued a 'moderate' heat risk for both Miami and Los Angeles.
And the first game of the tournament will be held in Miami between Inter Miami and Egyptian side Al Ahly.
The game kicks off at 8pm local time, meaning the midday peak of 32 degrees will have passed.
But it is still predicted to be at 29 degrees at kick off, with 65 percent humidity making conditions even more uncomfortable for players.
Messi's Inter Miami are then in action on 19 June at 3pm local time against Porto at the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta.
Again there is a risk of bad weather, with temperatures expected to reach 31 degrees and thunderstorms, although the stadium does have a fully retractable roof.
Messi returns to Miami for the final group game against Brazil's Palmeiras at 9pm local time on 29 June.
Although the temperature will have dropped slightly, it is still estimated to be around 27 degrees when the teams play.
If they progress as group winners, then Inter Miami would play the next two rounds in the cooler city of Philadelphia, where the temperature drops to a much more tolerable 19 degrees.
That would mean Messi's semi-final and final would take place in the even cooler, wetter city of East Rutherford in New Jersey.
But if Inter Miami finish as runners-up from Group A, then both the last-16 and quarter-finals would be played in Atlanta.
And with temperatures predicted to remain above 30 degrees for the foreseeable future, it could be another unpleasant game for the players. The challenging temperatures add to the growing list of concerns surrounding a tournament that has faced widespread criticism ever since it was announced.
According to the Guardian, Fifa's only mention of extreme weather refers to bringing in cooling breaks for players, where they can take on extra fluids once in each half if the temperature exceeds 32C on pitch.
The international players’ union, FifPro, has said players need more protection, saying: "With tournaments like the Club World Cup featuring dense match schedules and hot climates in locations such as Orlando and Miami, extreme heat is becoming an increasingly important health and safety issue in professional football. Fifpro will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations."