Thomas Tuchel is backing England to beat the heat and humidity at the World Cup
England manager Thomas Tuchel believes his squad are well prepared to cope with the heat and humidity expected at the 2026 World Cup, saying the conditions may present a challenge but will not be used as an excuse ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
England’s players were due to fly to Miami on Monday night for a 10-day warm-weather acclimation camp to help them adapt to the conditions they could face in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Later, several players join the team after recent club commitments. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have been given extra time to recover from Saturday’s Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, while Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson is expected to arrive later after helping his club win the UEFA Conference League last week.
The rest of the team will assemble in West Palm Beach, with some players traveling directly from vacation destinations across America and the Caribbean.
Tuchel said that reconnecting with the squad and reviewing recent performances has reinforced his belief that England can make a big impact at the World Cup.
“When I reconnected with the games and built our training and meetings to reconnect the team in Florida with what we had already built, I saw a lot of quality,” Tuchel told Sky Sports.
“That immediately gave me full faith and excitement that we could go a long way.
The German manager admitted that England would be entering unfamiliar territory, particularly if they have to play in the intense heat and humidity expected in parts of North America or at the altitude of Mexico.
“We are not used to being in this kind of heat, humidity and even altitude when we play in Mexico,” Tuchel said.
“There will be a lot of challenges at this World Cup. One of them is the heat, but we are ready.”
“We know individual players’ responses to the heat and have cooling strategies in place. We’ve had help from Team GB and specialists around the world to come up with solutions to help players adapt.”
“We know exactly how much time we want to expose them before camp, the ideal amount of time you should be training in the sun, and we’re not going to do too much.”
Heat management has become a major point of discussion during the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, with players’ unions and medical experts raising concerns about the risks of heat stress, dehydration and slower recovery times.
However, Tuchel was keen to stress that England were not looking for reasons to lower their expectations ahead of the tournament.
“It’s a factor, but it shouldn’t be that we’re making excuses anymore,” he said.
“It’s just not in our favor and it’s a hurdle to overcome.”
England face New Zealand in a friendly in Tampa on Saturday as Tuchel continues his preparations for a World Cup campaign he believes can be successful despite the environmental challenges that lie ahead.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
01 Jun 2026 22:35 IST