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Reuters
Jun 28, 2025, 01:55 PM ET
FIFA's Global Football Development main Arsene Wenger acknowledged that the prime of pitches hosting Club World Cup matches successful the U.S. was not bully enough, but insisted it would beryllium amended erstwhile the state co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.
The pitches, often precise adust and sprinkled with h2o during cooling breaks oregon astatine halftime, person been wide criticised, chiefly by coaches and players of the European teams taking part.
"I've been personally connected the transportation astatine Orlando," erstwhile Arsenal manager Wenger said connected Saturday. "It's not astatine the level that the European clubs are utilized to due to the fact that it's not perfect, but that volition beryllium rectified for the World Cup adjacent year."
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique raised the issue aboriginal successful the expanded Club World Cup tournament.
"The shot bounces similar a rabbit," Luis Enrique said aft his team's opening 4-0 win implicit Atlético Madrid.
"Today, for example, the tract utilized to beryllium artificial turf, and present it's earthy writer laid implicit it, which means it has to beryllium watered manually. It's a large occupation for the mode we play.
"FIFA truly needs to instrumentality this seriously. Not conscionable the stadium fields but besides the grooming pitches. If we're calling this the champion nine tourney successful the world, it should person world‑class facilities. I can't ideate an NBA crippled played connected a tribunal afloat of holes."
