England Boss Weighs Radical Tactic Amid Warnings of Extreme Conditions at US-Canada-Mexico Tourney.

Thomas Tuchel

England manager Thomas Tuchel has floated a bold strategy for the 2026 World Cup: keeping substitutes in the dressing room to shield them from scorching temperatures that could hit 45°C in host cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico, Sportblits.com reports.

Speaking to BBC Sport on the eve of Friday’s tournament draw in Washington DC, the German tactician admitted the idea, spotted at last summer’s Club World Cup, is unpalatable but pragmatic if it boosts late-game impact.

“If this helps the players later in the match, we have to consider it,” Tuchel said. “Nobody likes it because I want the players to be out there, feeling the energy and bringing it from the bench onto the pitch. But I saw players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it.”

Heatwave Horror: A Global Game-Changer

The June-July 2026 showdown, FIFA’s largest ever, with 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 venues, faces a climate crisis cocktail: blistering heat, wildfires, hurricanes, and long-haul travel.

The Pitches in Peril report, from campaigners Football for the Future and Common Goal, flags 10 of 16 stadiums at “very high risk” of extreme heat stress, potentially slashing match intensity, sprints, and recovery.

Tuchel, drawing from Club World Cup woes where heat sparked player protests and union outcries over dehydration and heat stroke, warned of tactical shifts.

“It’s an issue for high-level football – it will reduce the intensity of the matches. It will reduce the amount of intensive runs, offensively and defensively. The match and the plan will naturally adapt. You cannot play the same football in 45C than in 21C,” he explained.

“We need to adapt and prepare the players as good as possible. We need to adapt to the heat, to cooling systems, and we’re on it. We’ve put a lot of effort into it, and we will be ready when the tournament starts.”

Travel Turmoil and Mindset Matters

Beyond the bake, jet-lag logistics loom: cross-continent flights, thunderstorm delays, and altitude variances. Tuchel urged resilience over perfection.

“We have to be prepared to accept difficulties. It will be hot, it will be humid, there will be a lot of travelling, there will be a lot of delays – there can be delays with the thunderstorms. So I think it’s more about the mindset than having a solution to everything before it happens,” he noted.

England, who qualified unbeaten with eight wins and 22 goals conceded none in qualifiers, enter as favorites, but Tuchel’s prep signals a squad battle-hardened for the elements.

As the draw unfolds, the Three Lions eye groups that minimize misery. For Tuchel, it’s not just silverware: it’s survival in the summer swelter.