'A joke' - Enzo Maresca questions USA in summer as right place for FIFA Club World Cup after weather delay in Chelsea's win over Benfica

React to this story

The FIFA Club World Cup is in the knockout stage and goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in extra time helped Chelsea beat Benfica to set up a meeting with Palmeiras, who beat fellow Brazilian side Botafogo. Despite seeing his side win, manager Enzo Maresca was not happy with a two-hour weather delay in Charlotte, North Carolina.

'It's not football' - Maresca slams lengthy weather delay in Chelsea win

Video credit: TNT Sports

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea progressed to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, but the Blues boss was left fuming by a weather delay that took the players off the field with four minutes remaining in normal time.

Chelsea were in command at 1-0 against Benfica thanks to a stunning Reece James free-kick when the players were taken from the field by referee Slavko Vincic with four minutes remaining.

The weather looked unsettled in the background in Charlotte, but there was no rain at the time the players went back to the changing rooms.

Club World Cup

How does UCL final impact the FIFA Club World Cup? Have Arsenal qualified for the 2029 tournament?

01/06/2026 at 17:43

After a two-hour weather delay, Angel Di Maria scored a penalty deep into stoppage time to take the match into extra time.

Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then scored in extra time to send Chelsea through to a meeting with Palmeiras, who beat fellow Brazilian side Botafogo in a feisty affair.

But Maresca was not happy with events in North Carolina, and suggested the United States in summer was not the best place for the tournament to be held.

"For 85 minutes we were in control of the game," Maresca said. "After the break, the game changed completely.

"For me, it's not football. It's already seven, eight, nine games that they suspended. I think it's a joke, to be honest - it's not football. It's not for us. You cannot be inside. I struggle to understand.

"I can understand that for security reasons, you suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this competition."

Per Sky Sports, six games have been disrupted by weather, and Maresca said "there is something that is not working".

"It's a joke," Maresca said. "That's why I said it. If they've already suspended six games, probably there is something that is not working.

"I'm not here to decide the rule. I'm no one to decide the rule. I'm the last one. I'm talking as a manager. As a manager, it's difficult to manage two hours suspended.

"There is some problem for me personally. But I'm not talking - I'm talking as a manager. Because when you are two hours inside and you try to keep them in the game, but for two hours, they are speaking with the family outside for safety reasons.

"They are eating something, they are playing, they are laughing. How can you keep them two hours inside, focused?

"We are happy to be in this competition. But it's something that it's not normal for."

Guardiola 'pleased' with Man City thrashing 'incredible' Juventus

Video credit: SNTV

Despite being unhappy with some aspects of the day, Maresca was pleased to progress to the quarter-finals.

"I'm very proud," Maresca told DAZN. "The performance for me was top until the last five minutes when they stopped the game, and when we restarted [it was] a completely a different game.

"When you are inside for more than one hour it's not easy but, 1-1, we continued to play and, at the end, I think the reward was one that we deserve."

"We are in the last eight teams here in this competition and we are very happy."

---

Watch and stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

Transfers