In Pep Guardiola’s words, his team “will have to suffer” as temperatures for the match against Juventus at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium are expected to rise above 30°C.
Playing football in such intense heat not only affects performance but also poses serious health risks. High temperatures put additional strain on the body, increasing the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even heatstroke.
Both teams have already secured spots in the last 16 after winning their first two matches. Manchester City and Juventus are both sitting on 6 points, and this matchup will be a tug of war to determine who will finish top of Group G.
Speaking at the media briefing, Guardiola said the boys just have to hang in there, they can’t change the situation. It’s mother nature, and they will have to play their best football.
“The heat is obvious. We cannot change it, right?
“So it’s better to play like in the last stadium [which was indoors and air-conditioned], it was fantastic. I’m making the selection tomorrow [Thursday] thinking about the second half because in these conditions we can’t play at our rhythm.
“But all the teams have to handle it, so it is what it is. For the next World Cup [in the US], people will know [about] it already, but we have to be ready to suffer. My advice to people is to bring water, hats and towels.”
The 54-year-old also gave an update on some players. Rodri is still unavailable, as it will take a few more months for him to return to full form. He’s not ready to play a full match yet, as he’s still recovering from a long-term injury. “Not for 90 minutes but he played the last [two] games 30 minutes or 35 minutes,” said Guardiola.
“He’s making steps forward. In the last three or four days he didn’t have some niggles that sometimes he has [what can be normal after a long layoff].”
Claudio Echeverri will sit out the rest of the tournament due to an ankle injury he suffered in the 6-0 win against Al Ain. “He will be out for two to three weeks. We’ll play new players in this game and then new players in the next game too.”
