England manager Thomas Tuchel believes his side are well-prepared to deal with the heat and humidity expected at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the conditions may pose 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 evening for a 10-day warm-weather acclimatisation camp designed to help them adapt to the conditions they could face in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Several players will join the squad later after recent club commitments. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have been given additional recovery time following Saturday’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, while Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson is also expected to arrive later after helping his club win the UEFA Conference League last week.
The rest of the squad will gather in West Palm Beach, with some players travelling directly from holiday destinations across the Americas and the Caribbean.
Tuchel said reconnecting with the squad and reviewing recent performances had reinforced his belief that England can make a strong impact at the World Cup.
“When I reconnected with the games and built our training sessions and meetings to reconnect the team in Florida with what we have built already, I saw a lot of quality,” Tuchel told Sky Sports.
“That instantly gave me the full belief and excitement that we can go a long way.”
The German manager acknowledged that England would be entering unfamiliar territory, particularly if they are required to play in the intense heat and humidity expected in parts of North America or at altitude in Mexico.
“We are not used to being in this kind of heat and humidity, and even altitude if we play in Mexico,” Tuchel said.
“There will be a lot of challenges in this World Cup. The heat is one of them but we are prepared already.
“We know the individual reaction of the players to the heat and we have cooling strategies in place. We’ve had help from Team GB and specialists all over the world to come up with solutions that help the players to adapt.
“We know exactly the amount of time we want to expose them in pre-camp, the ideal amount of time that you should train in the sun and that we also don’t do too much.”
Heat management became a major talking point during the Club World Cup in the United States in 2025, when concerns were raised by players’ unions and medical experts over the risks of heat stress, dehydration and slower recovery times.
Tuchel, however, was keen to stress that England were not looking for reasons to lower expectations before the tournament begins.
“It is a factor but it should not come across that we are already making excuses,” he said.
“It’s just not in our favour and it is an obstacle to overcome.”
England will face New Zealand in a friendly in Tampa on Saturday as Tuchel continues preparations for a World Cup campaign he believes can be a successful one despite the environmental challenges that await.
– Ends
