Football World Cup: Paraguay advantage? Heat battle expected at around 40 degrees

Temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius are expected for the game in Philadelphia. According to the National Weather Service, the perceived temperature could be around 46 degrees Celsius. The National Weather Service called it an “extreme heat warning” on its website. “This is completely normal for us. Hopefully it will be a little warmer tomorrow,” said Paraguay central defender Junior Alonso.

France professional Doué: “Sometimes your head is less clear”

Unlike the arenas in Atlanta or Houston, the stadium in Philadelphia does not have a retractable roof. The heat battle is also likely to be a stress test for the spectators. There are hardly any shaded areas in the home stadium of the NFL team Philadelphia Eagles.

“We know that the weather will be difficult. You lose a lot of energy. You sweat more and lose more water. Sometimes you are less clear-headed. When we arrived it was already hot. Now it’s even hotter, but both teams have to deal with that,” said France attacker Désiré Doué.

Coach Deschamps: “It’s not ideal”

To prevent heat illnesses, FIFA introduced a mandatory drinking break every half-time. So far, however, the heat has played a much smaller role in this tournament than previously feared. Before the start of the tournament, a group around the world called for games with temperatures above 28 degrees to be postponed and for longer cooling breaks of at least six minutes to be introduced.

“It’s not ideal. But I’m not too worried about the heat. Together with the medical staff, we made sure that various measures were taken,” said France coach Didier Deschamps, without giving details.