'It's a joke' - Enzo Maresca rages at two-hour weather delay during Chelsea's Club World Cup clash with Benfica

Chelsea’s 4-1 victory over Benfica in the Club World Cup Round of 16 was interrupted by a one-hour and 53-minute suspension due to lightning in the Charlotte area. With five minutes remaining and Chelsea leading 1-0, play was stopped and both teams were ordered into the dressing rooms. When the game finally resumed, Benfica won a controversial penalty to level the match, forcing extra time. Chelsea ultimately triumphed with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedri Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but the night dragged on to nearly five hours of total match time.

This was not an isolated case at the Club World Cup. A total of six matches in different US cities have been suspended due to weather events during the tournament, including flight delays as well, raising concerns over the nation’s readiness to host part of the 2026 World Cup. Maresca didn’t hold back in criticising the repeated disruptions, suggesting that such stoppages change the entire rhythm and nature of a football match. Despite Chelsea’s progression, the chaotic conditions and lengthy delays left a sour taste.

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Speaking to the media, Maresca said: “For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. 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.

“The problem is that when the game is suspended, it’s not football. Guys, it’s not football. You suspend the game, it’s not football. It’s completely something different. They [Benfica] scored because they need to chase. We are inside, we are winning. You go outside, mentally different. It’s difficult. We had an hour and a half, two-hour stop. Then it started completely different. It’s not the same game because you break the tempo. So two hours inside; people speak with the family outside, if they were good, the security. People eating, people laughing, people talking on the mobile. It’s two hours. That’s why I said it’s not football. It’s something that you struggle to understand. But we tried to go out, continue in the same way, knowing that it was difficult. It’s not random that for 85 minutes, we didn’t concede nothing. And then for five minutes, we conceded a few chances. Why? It’s because it started a completely different game.”

The Blues have advanced to the Club World Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Palmeiras without Moises Caicedo, who will be serving a suspension. Maresca will hope to avoid further disruptions as Chelsea aim for silverware. Meanwhile, questions remain about the preparedness of US cities to host major football tournaments if weather protocols continue to derail fixtures.