Chelsea advanced to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup over the weekend after a 4-1 win over Benfica at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina.
But the scoreline wasn’t the main talking point – it was the massive delay.
With Chelsea leading 1-0 thanks to a Reece James free-kick, the match was suddenly suspended with just four minutes left on the clock due to severe thunderstorm warnings in Charlotte.
Fans were evacuated, while players were ushered off the pitch and back to the dressing room, where they waited for 113 minutes before play finally resumed.
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.
