# Soccer: Soaring temperatures at the current Club World Cup in the United States led to concerns over early matches during next year’s World Cup in North America. The World Cup had been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, posing logistigal challenges for the organisers. During this week’s club tournament, matches starting at 3pm had to be played in temperatures of over 32 degrees Celsius due to a heatwave. Players’ union FIFPRO urged global bodies to re-evaluate kick-off times, and praised the added cooling breaks in games.
Soccer: Concerns over heat in US before next year’s World Cup