TEXAS: Substitutes who watch from the locker room, abandoned practice sessions and sweat-soaked jerseys. A heat wave hitting a wide swath of the country is taking a toll on players at the FIFA Club World Cup. The gruelling conditions could also be a preview of what’s to come next summer when the United States, Canada and Mexico host soccer’s premier event, the 2026 World Cup. “It’s impossible, it’s terribly hot. My toes were sore, even my toenails were hurting, I couldn’t stop or start.

That the US gets hot in the summer is hardly breaking news. Even if it may not give any one team an advantage, it puts players, fans and officials at risk

TEXAS: Substitutes who watch from the locker room, abandoned practice sessions and sweat-soaked jerseys. A heat wave hitting a wide swath of the country is taking a toll on…