PHILADELPHIA (AP) — For the complainers that hydration breaks have watered down the pace of play at the World Cup, consider the steamy, sticky, downright miserable heatwave colliding with the France-Paraguay knockout game Saturday.
With temperatures expected to nudge past 100 degrees F (38 C) at the 5 p.m. kickoff, maybe FIFA should instead consider adding multiple hydration breaks in each half.
It’s going to be hot in Philly.
Even in the summer, the closest the city usually gets to 100 is on the radar gun when Phillies baseball closer Jhoan Duran takes the mound.
Not this July, when AC — air conditioning — has been more a must than a traditional trip outdoors down to the shore.
Philadelphia was set to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday on July 4 weekend with a stacked calendar but, instead, events ranging from a Queen Latifah concert to a Semiquincentennial parade were canceled and a Liberty Medal ceremony honoring Pope Leo XIV was moved indoors.
On Saturday, Kylian Mbappé of France will go from one of the hottest players in the World Cup — in production — to one of the hottest players in the tournament — in core temperature.
And the players say?
So what.
These are professional athletes at the highest level with the ultimate prize in their sport at stake and even soccer players — who never met an offside call they won’t bellyache over — aren’t making much of a fuss about the sunny skies and the sultry Saturday expected at Lincoln Financial Field.
“We will both experience the same conditions,” France midfielder Désiré Doué said Friday.
As for Paraguay and coach Gustavo Alfaro: “The heat will affect both teams.”
So scratch the heat as a disadvantage for either team.
The true test for Paraguay will be trying to slow Mbappé as he tries to lead France to a third straight World Cup final.
Thriving on a hot, humid afternoon, Mbappé scored his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals in a 3-0 rout of Sweden, moving one back of Lionel Messi’s record of 19. With six in the tournament, Mbappé tied the Argentina star in the race for the Golden Boot.
Asked as he came off the field when temperatures hit (only) 90 degrees (33 C) if he was already looking forward to facing Paraguay, Mbappé quipped, “I’m looking forward to the changing room and the AC.”
Messi resumed his chase of the Golden Boot on Friday when defending champion Argentina took on Cape Verde.
Heat is on France to advance
Paraguay has little reason to complain and is just happy to play in the knockout round.
When Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties Monday to earn the biggest upset of this World Cup it was a major triumph for the landlocked South American country of 7 million people that’s surrounded by soccer giants like Argentina and Brazil.
“It’s one of those things that can happen in the life of the team,” Alfaro said. “We want Paraguay to have many more afternoons like that one.”
The upset still hasn’t changed the tenor — or the betting line — around the France clash. Paraguay has absolutely no burden of expectations going into the round of 32 match.
“This is why we have a public holiday in Paraguay after the win,” Alfaro said.
Toppling France would stand as an even greater sports miracle.
Les Bleus are 4-0 in the tournament, outscoring opponents 13-2. One of those wins came already in Philadelphia when Mbappé scored twice and France played through the tournament’s first rain delay to beat Iraq 3-0.
France has overtaken Argentina for No. 1 in FIFA’s rankings. Its four wins have come against teams currently ranked 18th (Senegal), 63rd (Iraq), 21st (Norway) and 37th (Sweden).
Paraguay is 34th. Potential quarterfinal opponents include Morocco (sixth) and Canada (30th). Spain (No. 3) looms as a semifinal opponent.
Tougher opposition, for sure.
Tougher elements, probably not.
All fans will be allowed to bring one, soft, plastic, 20-ounce factory-sealed disposable water bottle into the stadium (or any World Cup 2026 match in the U.S. and Canada). Water fountains are available in nine sections on the concourse at the Linc.
Here’s a travel tip, stay hydrated.
Philly is leaning all in on putting on a show for its final World Cup game after hosting five group stage games.
Grammy Award winners and Philadelphia’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Roots are performing. The U.S. national anthem will be performed by Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, who voiced Elsa in “Frozen.”
Any chance Menzel could bring some luck and shift the weather?
The cold never bothered Mbappé anyway.
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