Chelsea vs. Benafika: Lightning delay match, Enzo Marska questioned us as a club World Cup host. Football news
Chelsea coach Enzo Marska criticized FIFA’s decision to host the Club World Cup in the United States, as her team’s match against Benfika faced a delay of two hours due to electricity at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina on Saturday, which completed the game for about five hours.The match was interrupted with four minutes remaining in regulation time when fans were instructed to leave the stadium’s seating site, marking the first 50 matches of the tournament to the sixth season delay.“If they are already suspending six, seven eight games, then perhaps there is something that is not working well,” Marska said, the United States “is not the right place to do this competition.”Chelsea eventually won a 4–1 win over Benfika in an extra time, despite that the Portuguese team manages to score a equal through a stoppage-time penalty after a long delay.Chelsea captain Rice James expressed his disappointment, stating that “had to sit and wait for a long time, and it is quite disruptive.”The tournament has faced several challenges, including excessive heat with temperature, which reaches about 100 degrees Fahrenheits at some places during the day matches to accommodate European television audiences.The Extended Club serves as a test run for the upcoming 48-Team World Cup in the World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.FIFA has faced criticism of pitch status and match scheduling along with dealing with weather-related obstacles throughout the tournament.In particular, despite the power warning, the Bank of America Stadium was delayed, there was no real rain at the site.
