Five of the venues used over the past month—Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, and Lumen Field—are also set to host matches during next year’s tournament.

So, what has the Club World Cup revealed about what's to come? And what lessons might FIFA take from it?

Former Manchester City and Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown, who served as a co-commentator for DAZN at 10 matches across five different cities, told BBC Sport: "I do feel like the tournament has been a really good test for the World Cup."

Record-breaking heat and severe storms caused major disruptions throughout the tournament—raising questions about what may lie ahead for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Under U.S. safety regulations, play must be halted when lightning is detected within a 10-mile radius and cannot resume until 30 minutes after the last strike. As a result, six matches experienced weather-related delays, ranging from 40 minutes to over two hours. Notably, two of Benfica’s games—against Auckland City and Chelsea—were delayed for nearly two hours.

In the Chelsea match, there were just four minutes remaining when play was suspended. The Blues were leading 1–0 at the time, but Benfica equalized after the restart, before Chelsea eventually prevailed in extra time.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was critical of the conditions, saying: “I think it’s a joke, to be honest. It’s not football—it’s something completely new. I struggle to understand. If you have to suspend seven or eight games, then maybe this isn’t the right place to host the competition.”

FIFA was fortunate that evening fixtures escaped similar disruption, which could have resulted in postponements to the following day—a real possibility come next summer.

Extreme heat also posed a serious challenge for teams. Temperatures in New York reached as high as 39°C (102°F), with humidity pushing the heat index to over 50°C (122°F). Chelsea, among others, were forced to modify training routines to cope.

“We had to shorten sessions,” Maresca noted. “Otherwise, you don’t save energy for the game.”

According to FIFPRO, nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup are considered to pose a “very high” or “extremely high” risk of heat stress injuries—raising concerns about player safety and tournament scheduling.

The sweltering conditions during the tournament didn’t just test the players' endurance—it affected managers, staff, fans, and even security measures.

Juventus manager Igor Tudor revealed that ten of his players requested to be substituted during their defeat to Real Madrid due to the heat. Borussia Dortmund’s substitutes opted to watch the first half of one match from the dressing room to avoid direct sunlight. Manager Niko Kovač described the experience: “I was sweating like I’d just come out of a sauna.”

Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique also voiced concerns: “It’s not good for the spectacle because it’s difficult to play in those conditions.”

In one surreal example of just how extreme the heat was, sniffer dogs at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia were spotted wearing Crocs to protect their paws from the scorching concrete.

Speaking to BBC Sport, former Manchester City and Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown said:
“The weather has obviously been something all the teams have had to deal with. It’s affected the fans too—on some days, the heat was just ridiculous. It’s going to impact everyone next year. Teams and fans will need to be prepared.”

There are some improvements on the horizon. While only one stadium—Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta—had a roof this summer, five roofed stadiums will be used for the 2026 World Cup. However, with the tournament expanding to 48 teams, the risks associated with extreme heat and weather delays remain significant.

One possible solution is better scheduling. Avoiding midday kick-offs in hotter cities and prioritizing indoor venues for early games could help mitigate some of the worst effects.

FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, acknowledged the issue:
“The weather has been hot, but of course we can look at kick-off times—reviewing and possibly rescheduling matches earlier in the day at stadiums with roofs.”

With seven of the venues used this summer not included in the 2026 lineup, FIFA has a window of opportunity to adapt and prepare. But the challenges posed by North America’s summer climate are now impossible to ignore.

Over the past month, match attendances at the Club World Cup have varied widely—from sold-out stadiums to alarmingly empty stands.

Four matches drew fewer than 10,000 spectators, with the lowest turnout recorded at just 3,412 for Mamelodi Sundowns’ 1-0 win over Ulsan HD.

On the other end of the spectrum, 17 matches attracted crowds of over 60,000. The highest attendance came in Sunday’s final, where 81,118 fans watched Chelsea defeat Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium.

Unsurprisingly, matches featuring PSG and Real Madrid accounted for most of the tournament’s largest crowds.

“We believe the projected attendances were underestimated—actual numbers were significantly higher,” said FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger.

One major factor cited for the lower turnouts at some matches was inconvenient scheduling, with many kick-offs held at noon or 3 p.m. on weekdays—making it difficult for fans to attend.

American journalist Doug Roberson offered insight into the modest turnout of 22,000 for Chelsea’s opener against Los Angeles, emphasizing that the issue wasn't a lack of interest in football.

“It’s not because people here don’t care about soccer. They’re not here because it’s Monday at 3 p.m. Frankly, I’m surprised there are as many people as there are,” Roberson said.
“It’s a tournament that doesn’t mean much to people in the U.S. because it’s new. I imagine paying to attend something unfamiliar wasn’t appealing—especially with the World Cup coming next year and people trying to save money for that.
If I were FIFA, I’d schedule World Cup games at times when more people could attend. It’s definitely something to consider—and the ticket prices were ridiculous.”

Jonathan Tannenwald, chief soccer correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the need for better communication.

“We’ll all show up for the World Cup next summer, but for the Club World Cup, FIFA needed to market it better and explain what it was about,” he said.

Despite these lessons, FIFA is expected to retain similar kick-off times for next summer’s World Cup, banking on the global tournament’s popularity to draw crowds—even if it means asking local fans to take time off work.

Compounding the issue this summer was the scheduling overlap with the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which was held at separate venues across the U.S. and attracted significant TV attention. Fortunately for FIFA, that won’t be a competing factor in 2026.

FIFA’s use of dynamic ticket pricing—where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand—has sparked criticism and is expected to continue during next year's World Cup.

The policy came under scrutiny during the Club World Cup, with ticket prices for Chelsea’s semi-final against Fluminense reportedly plummeting from nearly £350 to under £10 in the week leading up to the match. Similarly, tickets for Chelsea’s quarter-final against Palmeiras dropped to just £8, with some fans claiming they paid over £250 when tickets first went on sale.

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown, who covered the tournament, noted a growing awareness among Americans—but said there’s still work to be done.

“As I’ve been travelling, it feels like more Americans are starting to talk about it. Whoever you speak to, they’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, it’s the football,’” Brown told BBC Sport.
“It’s definitely growing. Public awareness is much better than it was a few years ago, but there’s still a way to go—not just to spread the word that it’s happening, but to get people used to going to football games or watching matches on TV.”

He added that while progress is being made, football still competes with more established American sports.

“It’s still not the main sport out here. That’s the next step. There’s so much room for growth, but if you walk into a lot of bars and restaurants, you’ll still see baseball on TV even when the football is on.”

As FIFA gears up for the 2026 World Cup, balancing pricing strategy with accessibility—and continuing to build football culture in the U.S.—will be critical to the tournament’s success.