The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final is knocking at the door. And of all things that could become a cause for concern, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has raised concerns about something that FIFA can’t do anything about. The standout midfielder, who notched an assist in the 56th minute, helped nail shut Fluminense’s coffin in the semi-finals and made a concerning confession.

Although the Argentinian made a significant contribution in his team’s win against the Brazilian club, that performance drained him, literally. As the New Jersey heat soared to 95 degrees (Fahrenheit), it took a toll on the Chelsea star, who had to lie down on the grass to recover. “The truth is, the heat is incredible. The other day, I got a little dizzy in the game,” said Fernandez.

“I had to throw myself to the ground because I was really dizzy,” added the 24-year-old during an interview with ESPN. Now, with the final looming over their heads, Enzo Fernandez believes the heat could once again cause serious problems. “The truth is, playing in that temperature is very dangerous. It’s very dangerous,” the soccer star told ESPN.

With Chelsea taking on Paris Saint-Germain at the same time (3:00 pm) and venue as the semis, the soccer star’s concern is understandable. What’s more? Global players’ union FIFPro has backed this claim up because the heat exceeded their threshold of 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature gauge (WBGT).

Enzo Fernandez also believes that the heat affects play on every level. “For the people who come to enjoy the stadium and for the people who watch at home, the speed of the game isn’t the same. Everything feels very slow,” explained the 24-year-old. In fact, he even suggested that FIFA should change the schedule of the Club World Cup going forward.

“We hope they change the schedule next year so that it’s a spectacle and football continues to be enjoyable and attractive,” said Enzo Fernandez. ESPN reported that FIFPro agreed on this point as well. They recommended that at least three games, including the semifinal, should’ve been postponed. Unfortunately, heat wasn’t the only issue in Chelsea vs. Fluminense.

The semifinal match flashed a concerning signal

While the heat may have played a part in the lack of a crowd at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, other things were also at play. The concern began when ticket sales started plummeting ahead of the game between the Brazilian and Premier League clubs. In a matter of days, the low demand dropped the Chelsea vs. Fluminense ticket prices from $475 to just $13. It was so bad that stars like Enzo Fernandez had to jump into action.

The Chelsea star and many others shared Ticketmaster links to the Club World Cup semi-final match. It was puzzling, especially because of the underdog story of Fluminense. The Brazilian club surprised many critics when they made it to the semifinals. “They’re in the semi-final because they’ve done the right things. It will be a very equal game,” said Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella.

Yet, the excitement was nowhere to be seen. On the flip side, the Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid clash was doing much better. The PSG vs. Real Madrid match ticket prices averaged $165. Ultimately, about 35,000 fans showed up to watch Chelsea book their berth in the Club World Cup final.

This was in stark contrast to the 65,500-strong crowd that watched Enzo Fernandez and Co. beat Palmeiras in the quarterfinals. So it begs the question: How many fans will show up to watch PSG and Chelsea battle for the FIFA Club World Cup? Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to find that answer.