Chelsea's captain, Reece James, has openly criticized the quality of the pitches at the Club World Cup in the United States. Ahead of Chelsea's quarter-final match against Palmeiras in Philadelphia, James, 25, expressed his concerns about how the playing surfaces are impacting the quality of football.

James stated that the pitches "are not as good as pitches in Europe". He feels that the subpar surfaces, combined with the intense heat, are making it difficult for teams. He elaborated on the issue, saying: "The ball goes 100 feet in the air and it bounces one metre up. It's not what we're used to". James also believes that players become fatigued more quickly on these less-than-ideal pitches.

While James acknowledges that the conditions affect all teams involved in the competition, he believes that improving the pitch quality would enhance the experience for both fans in attendance and viewers. He said, "It's not just for us, it's for everyone involved in the competition, but I think for the fans, for the people watching, it would be better quality if the pitches were more acclimatised for us".

These comments from the England international could carry significant weight, especially with the US set to co-host the World Cup next year.

FIFA, the world governing body, has responded by stating they are satisfied with the quality of the turf, mentioning that the pitches have "played evenly and not cut up despite heavy rain in some cities". They also suggest that pitch quality is subjective, as natural surfaces can vary in different regions. FIFA maintains that all surfaces used in the tournament have been rigorously tested and meet the organization's standards. A FIFA spokesperson stated that they continue to monitor key performance indicators such as surface hardness, traction, and ball roll.

Adding to the concerns, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca criticized FIFA for choosing the United States as the host country for the Club World Cup, especially after a two-hour lightning delay disrupted their match against Benfica. Maresca said that the United States "is not the right place to do this competition". Extreme heat has also been a problem, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) during daytime matches.