In the World Cup predicted to be the hottest since 1994, the England team, when considering their location in the US, chose Johnson County, Kansas. This is a place far from the equator but not too close to the North Pole. It is just hot enough for the players to adapt, not to the point of "torment".
Before starting plans for the 2026 World Cup, captain Thomas Tuchel was warned by assistant Anthony Barry. The pair has put forward new training plans to adapt to the harsh weather in the US. Players are also encouraged to fly to Florida early, from there to move to the gathering point to get used to the weather soon.
The first match of the "Three Lions" was a convincing victory against Croatia in Dallas. It was a Premier League-style performance, especially in the 2nd half. Harry Kane and his teammates accelerated continuously, pressing to make the opponent breathless. It was a time to keep Thomas Tuchel's promise to the fans. The English players ran a total of 117 km. The average speed in the sprints of the "Three Lions" ranked 5th, after France, Jordan, Brazil and Austria.
Playing at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with an average temperature of 22-27 degrees Celsius (with air conditioning in the stadium) helped England players not have to endure temperatures up to 34 degrees Celsius outside accompanied by harsh sunshine. If it were not reduced by nearly 10 degrees Celsius, both England and Croatia would have encountered difficulties. The "Three Lions" may still win, but such a playing style is almost not shown.
The challenge is whether the England team can maintain this form at Foxboro and New Jersey next week when facing Ghana and Panama? Both stadiums do not have air conditioning systems like in Dallas. Foxboro is probably a more pleasant destination for England as the weather in this area is forecast to be cool (about 24 degrees C), and may even rain when the match takes place. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the weather may be warmer (27 degrees C) and also likely to rain. In the short term, that seems favorable for the "Three Lions".
If England advances with the top spot and is favorable, they will play the next 3 rounds in Atlanta, Mexico City and Miami. The stadium in Atlanta has air conditioning but Miami does not. The temperature there can reach 30 degrees Celsius, along with high humidity making the atmosphere suffocating and very uncomfortable. England will train in Florida, but when they have to move to the competition venues, it may be a completely different context.
Thomas Tuchel recalled the friendly match with Costa Rica after the victory over Croatia, especially how his substitutions helped the "Three Lions" maintain physical pressure when the starting players started to get tired. He understands better than anyone that this World Cup will be a fierce physical battle, with a maximum of 8 matches for the championship mission, countless flights and time zone changes over 5 weeks.
Now, the German strategist hopes that the England team can continue to maintain that form for the long and tiring 90 minutes ahead, with the heat in Boston in the match against Ghana next week.
