Chelsea secured a spot in the Club World Cup quarter-finals after defeating Benfica 4-1 at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina over the weekend.
But the scoreline wasn’t the main talking point – it was the massive delay.
Leading 1-0 from a Reece James free-kick, the match was abruptly halted with four minutes remaining due to severe thunderstorm alerts in Charlotte.
Supporters were evacuated, and players retreated to the dressing room, waiting for 113 minutes before the game continued.
So, what did the players do during that long break? James has now spilled the beans.
“It was about recovery, keeping the legs going on the bike, listening to some music to keep the vibes going,” the England international said. “It takes a lot out of the players to cool down and then restart that engine again, but we’re happy we got the job done.”
And get the job done they did. Though Angel Di Maria equalised almost immediately after the restart via a penalty to send the game into extra time, Chelsea dominated from there.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sealed a convincing win for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Still, despite the result, Maresca wasn’t pleased with the circumstances.
“You cannot be inside for two hours. It is something completely new,” the Italian vented post-match.
“I understand suspending the game for safety, but if you suspend six or seven matches, maybe it’s not the right place to host this competition.”
At least the 2026 World Cup isn’t being held in the United States… oh, wait.
