'Ten Juventus players asked to be substituted' says manager Igor Tudor.

Juventus head coach Igor Tudor has revealed that ten of his players asked to be substituted due to extreme heat and humidity during their 1-0 loss to Real Madrid in the last-16 of the Club World Cup. The match was held in Miami, where temperatures reached 30°C with 70% humidity. According to Tudor, the physical demands of a high-stakes match under such punishing weather left many players completely exhausted. “There’s the tension of this match, which burns your energy. Then there’s this heat, which really gets to you, and the third thing is the humidity,” he explained.

FIFA permits five substitutions during regulation time and a sixth if the match enters extra time. Tudor used all five allotted substitutions, but the demand far exceeded that. Gonzalo Garcia scored the only goal for Real Madrid, sending Juventus out of the tournament under sweltering conditions at Hard Rock Stadium.

This instance adds to a growing number of concerns over player safety in extreme climates. The match was one of many played under what FIFA calls “heat stress conditions.” With the US summer causing soaring temperatures in multiple host cities, FIFA’s current guidelines mandate cooling breaks once the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) crosses 32°C. These breaks were triggered in 33 out of 56 matches so far.

The WBGT considers not just heat, but also humidity and solar radiation to assess overall danger to human health during physical activity. The players' union Fifpro has recommended that matches be paused once WBGT exceeds 28°C and postponed entirely if above 32°C.

As heat continues to impact the tournament, questions are mounting about whether FIFA will be prepared to handle similar conditions when the US hosts the 2026 World Cup.

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The intense summer heat sweeping across the United States has become a central storyline of the ongoing Club World Cup. Several managers, including Borussia Dortmund’s Niko Kovac and Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, have voiced strong concerns over unmanageable temperatures disrupting games and training sessions. Kovac described himself as “sweating like I’ve just come out of a sauna” during his team’s group stage match in Cincinnati, while Maresca labeled conditions in Philadelphia as “impossible” due to a government-issued code red warning.

Other matches have seen even worse conditions. Temperatures peaked at 36°C during Benfica’s win over Bayern Munich in Charlotte, North Carolina. Across the tournament, 33 of the 56 matches have had to include cooling breaks to protect player health and performance.

FIFA currently uses the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) as its heat safety metric. This comprehensive measure considers temperature, humidity, wind, and sun exposure. When the WBGT hits 32°C, mandatory cooling breaks are triggered. However, global players’ union Fifpro argues these breaks should begin at 28°C and matches postponed once levels exceed 32°C.

Medical experts have warned FIFA that these conditions pose a serious risk to players' health, especially in high-intensity matches. A leading heat stress specialist even suggested that the 2026 World Cup final might have to be played as early as 9:00 a.m. local time if similar weather persists.

With the United States set to host the next World Cup, the extreme heat experienced during this tournament serves as a clear warning sign. Calls are growing for FIFA to adopt stricter policies on match timing and player protection, especially as climate conditions become more unpredictable and dangerous for athletes on the global stage.