Reece James: Chelsea captain bemoans 'difficult' Club World Cup conditions ahead of first Estevao meeting

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·4 July 2025

Reece James: Chelsea captain bemoans 'difficult' Club World Cup conditions ahead of first Estevao meeting

The Blues will face Palmeiras in the small hours of Saturday morning

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Reece James shed new light on the challenging conditions Chelsea have faced at the Club World Cup as they brace for a ‘very tough’ quarter-final meeting with Palmeiras.

Player fatigue has been a constant point of discourse throughout the newly expanded competition as teams have been subjected to constant travel, scorching temperatures, and subpar pitches.

The Blues have played in Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Atlanta so far at the tournament. James says the calendar has necessitated hours of flying and negatively impacted pre-match preparations.

“We travel so often,” he pointed out. “Everywhere is two hours minimum on a plane.

“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.”

Chelsea’s quarter-final meeting with Palmeiras will provide them the opportunity to see Willian Estevão in action.

The highly-rated young winger is set to join the Blues following the tournament, and the match may well be his last for the Verdão, though he could also condemn his new club to a premature flight home.

James is unbothered by the prospect of lining up opposite a future teammate, though: “I think it’s going to be more difficult for him than for us. This is probably one of his last games for Palmeiras.

“He’s a young player. We’re excited to have him. But when we are on the pitch tomorrow night, whilst we’re friends, we’re against him.”

After losing to Brazilian opposition in the group stage, falling 3-1 to Flamengo, James acknowledged that Chelsea would have to be at their best.

“I think for sure we learned a lot about playing a Brazilian team in the group. They were a difficult team. We’re expecting a very tough game tomorrow.

“We’re ready for war. We need to win the game. We’re preparing the best we can in the current circumstances.”