England manager Thomas Tuchel has identified heat and humidity as a major challenge ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but he remains confident his team can adapt and compete deep into the tournament.
Most of England’s squad will travel to Florida for a 10-day acclimatisation camp before the competition. Players will gather in West Palm Beach as Tuchel continues preparations for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze will join the group later after Saturday’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Dean Henderson will also arrive later after helping Crystal Palace win the Conference League final.
Tuchel liked what he saw when he reviewed England’s recent work before the camp.
“I saw a lot of quality. That instantly gave me the full belief and excitement that we can go a long way.”
The German coach believes weather conditions could create problems after a demanding club season.
“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.”
England have already developed plans to help players cope with the conditions. Tuchel said the staff have studied individual responses to heat and introduced cooling strategies. The team also sought support from Team GB and specialists to shape their preparation programme.
“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.”
Concerns over extreme temperatures surfaced during the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, where medical experts and players’ unions raised issues around heat stress, dehydration and recovery times.
Tuchel insisted England will not use the weather as an excuse.
“It’s a factor but it should not come across that we are already making excuses. It’s just not in our favour and it is an obstacle to overcome.”
