Reece James blasts two things about Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign in passionate message

Reece James believes the "difficult pitches and climate" in the United States have made things a lot harder for Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Blues take on Palmeiras in the quarter-final this evening (Friday) at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. This will be the third time Chelsea have played at the stadium used by NFL team Philadelphia Eagles, having played in Charlotte and Atlanta as well over the past few weeks.

The pitch at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte last time out looked to be difficult for the players to get used to. The bounce of the ball was not what the players were expecting and it made certain situations a bit more difficult to judge.

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The ever-changing weather conditions have also complicated proceedings for Chelsea. In the Blues' last match, there was a two-hour delay because of thunderstorms in the area - something head coach Enzo Maresca was left furious with after the game.

Chelsea were then given two days off to relax following the exertions at the weekend. James is hoping he and his teammates have recovered for the Palmeiras challenge but did speak openly about the difficulties of playing on the pitches in the United States and also in weather conditions the England international is not used to.

"It was a draining experience," the Chelsea captain said when asked about the Benfica win at the weekend. "It was a long day, the game took like four or five hours, something ridiculous. I don't think anyone will experience that again in their career. I'd like to think we have recovered and we will be ready to go by tomorrow at nine o'clock."

James continued: "It's difficult pitches, a difficult climate. The ball goes 100 feet in the air and it bounces one metre up. It's not what we're used to. I feel you get a lot leggier quicker, playing on pitches that are not so good. It's not just for us it's for everyone involved in the competition.

"I think for the fans, for the people watching, it would be better quality if the pitches were more acclimatised for us."

football.london contacted a FIFA spokesperson and this is how they responded: "FIFA can confirm that the playability characteristics of pitches used at the FIFA Club World Cup remain within the optimal range set by international testing standards.

"FIFA continues to monitor key performance indicators such as surface hardness, traction, and ball roll. While acknowledging that grass type and climate differ in different parts of the world, adjustments are made in real time based on weather conditions, pitch usage, and match schedules to ensure high-quality playing surfaces and prioritise player safety across all venues.

"FIFA always values direct feedback from players and coaches. In some cases, this has led to adaptive measures — such as pitch irrigation during cooling breaks — being introduced for the first time under FIFA protocol to support optimal ball movement in warmer conditions."

The subject of pitches is a very subjective issue and players from different parts of the world will prefer varying surfaces. The FIFA World Cup will take place next summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico - leading to questions over the quality of pitch for the international competition, but the bed-in time will be longer than what it was for the Club World Cup, with the stadium handover expected to be earlier.

As for the turf at the Lincoln Financial Field, football.london understands the plan is to start rolling the pitch up on Monday morning. The surface will then be installed at Hammonton High School in Hammonton, New Jersey.