Flamengo began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their Group D opener in Philadelphia on Monday thanks to goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo.

The Brazilian side dominated from start to finish on a chilly evening at a half-empty Lincoln Financial Field, with Esperance managing only two attempts on goal.

Flamengo opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Guillermo Varela surged down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross to Luiz Araujo, who cushioned the ball into the path of Arrascaeta to fire home.

Esperance struggled to get a foothold on the match, with Flamengo enjoying 80% possession, but they enjoyed their best moments after the break with Youcef Belaili providing a rare spark.

After curling a shot narrowly wide in the 63rd minute, Belaili forced Flamengo goalkeeper Augustin Rossi into a sharp save with a close-range effort five minutes later.

However, Flamengo quickly reasserted control to silence the lively Tunisian support behind the south goal and in the 70th minute they doubled their lead through Araujo.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho played an incisive through ball for Araujo to break the offside trap and after cutting inside he curled a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

The win puts Flamengo level on points with Chelsea at the top of Group D, after the London club also secured a 2-0 victory over LAFC earlier in the day.

Flamengo and Chelsea meet on Friday in a match likely to determine the group winner.

-Reuters

Soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity at the Club World Cup are fuelling concerns among players, coaches, and fans, with calls for additional cooling breaks and adjustments to match schedules.

Midday kickoff temperatures in Pasadena at the weekend approached 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit), forcing players in the Paris St Germain v Atletico Madrid match to dig in early as the midday sun blazed on the Rose Bowl’s uncovered stands and pitch.

Atletico’s Marcos Llorente described the conditions as “terribly hot,” saying “my toes were sore, my nails were hurting… it’s incredible.”

Fans, too, voiced concern.

Attendees at the Rose Bowl complained of long queues in harsh heat, limited shaded areas and water restrictions at entry, with some leaving at halftime due to dehydration and fear of fainting.

Similar mid‑afternoon kickoff conditions are planned for upcoming matches, stoking safety concerns for supporters and players.

Monday’s match in Pasadena was not an isolated incident. Miami and Los Angeles are experiencing temperatures north of 30 °C (86 °F), many rising above the 32 °C heat‑stress threshold, triggering warnings from player unions.

Tuesday’s game between Real Madrid and Al Hilal is scheduled at 1500 local time with temperatures expected to reach 32°C with humidity set to hover around 70%.

The world players’ union FIFPRO has suggested FIFA should revise scheduling, if needed.

“FIFPRO has consistently advocated for comprehensive heat protection measures including mandatory cooling breaks, adjustments to kick-off times to avoid the most intense heat, and the postponement of matches when conditions pose a serious health risk to players,” FIFPRO said.

“With tournaments like the Club World Cup featuring dense match schedules and hot climates in locations such as Orlando and Miami, extreme heat is becoming an increasingly important health and safety issue in professional football.

“FIFPRO will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations.”

The current rules permit one mandatory break per half.

England coach Thomas Tuchel, observing the tournament as part of planning for next year’s World Cup in North America, warned the tournament schedule would resemble “suffering,” with players battling harsh midday conditions.

The heat represents one of many controversies plaguing the expanded 32‑team format. FIFPRO and the PFA have launched legal action in Brussels, alleging FIFA overstepped by introducing an unsustainable four‑week calendar, risking player burnout.

Critics say the added fixtures, combined with sweltering heat, could severely strain player welfare.

FIFA, however, maintains that the extended summer fixtures align with the broader International Match Calendar and that existing protocols are sufficient.

-Reuters

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Champions League winners Paris St Germain crushed fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid 4-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday to get their Club World Cup campaign off to a winning start.

PSG landed the first blow in the Group B clash when Fabian Ruiz fired home from distance in the 19th minute as they showed no signs of rust in their first match since trouncing Inter Milan 5-0 to win their first Champions League title last month.

PSG doubled their advantage just before halftime when an Antoine Griezmann miss led to a counter-attack that ended with Vitinha firing home under sunny skies in Southern California.

The LaLiga side appeared to have pulled one back when Julian Alvarez found the net in the 57th minute but it was overturned after a VAR review determined Koke had fouled Desire Doue in the leadup to the strike, with Atletico coach Diego Simeone sarcastically applauding the decision from the sideline.

The Spanish side’s nightmare continued when defender Clement Lenglet was sent off after receiving a second yellow card and Alexander Sorloth inexplicably missed what should have been a tap-in, instead sending it over the bar.

Substitute Senny Mayulu added a third goal for PSG in the 87th minute to end any hopes of an Atletico comeback, while Lee Kang-in fired home a stoppage-time penalty to round off the scoring.

PSG will be back at the Rose Bowl on Thursday to face Brazilian team Botafogo while Atletico will travel north to Seattle to take on MLS side the Seattle Sounders.

“The hardest thing to do in football is to maintain the level, not just going high and low,” Vitinha, who was named man of the match, said.

“That’s what I tried to do. Very good performance by the team and a very good start to this competition.”

PSG were without Frenchman and Ballon d’Or favourite Ousmane Dembele, who suffered an injury while playing for France in the UEFA Nations League earlier this month, but they hardly needed him on Sunday.

They had 74% possession and 11 shots on target compared to Atletico Madrid’s one.

The historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena was rocking thanks to the 80,000 fans who turned out amid the hot midday sun one year before the U.S. will co-host the World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.

“It was a different environment but it feels good to see so many people in the USA here to watch soccer, or to watch football, as I say,” Vitinha added.

-Reuters

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