Why America?!” – Chelsea Boss Enzo Maresca Blasts FIFA Over Club World Cup Host Choice

On the night of Saturday, June 28, Enzo Maresca led Chelsea into their Club World Cup round of 16 clash against Benfica. However, in the 85th minute, play was abruptly halted due to severe summer thunderstorms, forcing an indefinite suspension of the match.

This marked the sixth time a Club World Cup fixture had been suspended since the tournament began in the United States earlier this month.

Before the nearly three-hour weather delay, Chelsea had taken a narrow lead through Reece James’ 64th-minute strike. Once play resumed, Benfica’s Ángel Di María converted a 95th-minute penalty, awarded after a VAR review, to bring the match level.

In extra time, Chelsea responded emphatically, with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealing a 4-1 victory and a spot in the quarter-finals.

Following the match, Coach Enzo Maresca expressed his frustration over the interruptions, calling the situation “a joke.”

“To be honest, I think it’s a joke,” said the Italian coach. “This isn’t football—it’s something completely unfamiliar, and I struggle to make sense of it.

“While I understand suspending a match for safety reasons, when you’ve had six or seven games affected, it’s clear this might not be the right location for such a tournament.

“In the World Cup, how many matches are suspended? Probably none. In Europe? Also none. We’ve only been here for two weeks, and already six or seven matches have been disrupted. That raises serious concerns for me personally.”