Enzo Fernandez has become the latest professional to slam the Club World Cup, with the Argentine blasting the “very dangerous” conditions that players have been forced to play in.
One narrative that has plagued FIFA’s inaugural Club World Cup is the scorching temperatures that teams have been forced to compete in.
After European teams’ increasingly gruelling season - UEFA unveiled a new Champions League format that included four additional teams and a minimum of two extra games - sides like Chelsea have had to play Club World Cup fixtures in temperatures rising up to 38C.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca previously embarked on an astonishing rant after their round of 16 clash against Benfica was delayed by over two hours in the 85th minute due to adverse weather conditions.
Enzo Maresca was left fuming after Chelsea's Club World Cup fixture against Benfica was suspended for two hours
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The 45-year-old said: "I think it's a joke to be honest, it's not football. It's not for us. You cannot be inside. I struggle to understand.
"I can understand that for security reasons, you suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this competition."
Now, star midfielder Fernandez has followed suit from his manager in discussing the struggles of the tournament’s conditions.
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Enzo Fernandez claimed the temperatures were 'very dangerous' for the players
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Speaking ahead of their final against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, the 24-year-old said: "Honestly, the heat is incredible. The other day, 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."
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Fernandez has played at least a half of football in all six of Chelsea’s fixtures in the competition so far.
While the conditions have proved a significant obstacle, early-afternoon kick-off times have also resulted in complaints.
The tournament had been forced into these times in order to make games watchable on TV for European audiences.
Fernandez also touched upon the concern over the tempo of football being played, with the Argentine claiming the games are “very slow” as temperatures are too hot to play intense or high-pressing tactics.
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The 24-year-old said games have been slower and less enjoyable to watch as players try to adapt to the scorching temperatures
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The 2026 World Cup is due to be held in some of the same venues as the Club World Cup has been, with the host countries being Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Naturally, concerns have been raised over the upcoming tournament, with worries that the issues that have faced the Club World Cup will also crop up again during the sport's most significant competition.
Fernandez, somewhat ironically, questioned: ”Well, let's hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?"
Chelsea conclude their Club World Cup campaign against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday evening, as they look to claim their second title of the season.
In comparison, the Parisian side are looking to win an astonishing fifth trophy of the season, after they steamrolled through Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid, recording a 4-0 victory.
Luis Enrique’s side have the chance to reach the extraordinary feat of a sextuple, as they play Tottenham Hotspur in the Super Cup next month - they would be just the second side to do so, after Barcelona (2009) and Bayern Munich (2020).
But first they must overcome a Chelsea side that, under Maresca, looks rejuvenated despite the scorching weather conditions, and defiant skipper Reece James insisted the side are “going there to win.”
"To be honest, I don't care that everyone is bigging up our opposition,” James said. “We're preparing right, and we're going there to win.”