Kobbie Mainoo stepped outside for England's first training session in Florida last Tuesday and said it plainly: "Playing football in this weather is something else."
He was not exaggerating. England's 26-man squad landed in Palm Beach County on June 2, training at Gardens District Park to acclimatise to the heat before the World Cup begins.
The players, including Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Ollie Watkins, were put through drills in conditions that none of them regularly face back home. For Mainoo, still only 21, it was his first real taste of what competitive football in American summer heat actually feels like.
And the World Cup kicks off in four days.
How Teams Are Adapting to Extreme World Cup Conditions
England is set to use high-tech palm-cooling devices during training sessions and World Cup matches.
Research shows that cooling the palms can help reduce core body temperature, which can aid in quick recovery and performance in extreme heat.
It may sound futuristic, but for teams preparing for conditions in 2026, it is becoming a practical necessity.
But England is not alone in their creativity. Last summer at the Club World Cup, which has increasingly been viewed as a test run for what teams will face in 2026.
Borussia Dortmund kept their substitutes in the dressing room for the entire first half of their match against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, with temperatures hitting 31°C.
When those subs finally emerged for the second half, they came out carrying umbrellas.
Bayern Munich followed the same approach during their 1-0 win over Benfica. Since then, measures once viewed as unusual have become increasingly common as teams prepare for extreme heat.
FIFA has also mandated three-minute cooling breaks in each half and installed air-conditioned benches for players and coaching staff.
Matches played during the hottest parts of the day are set to take place in climate-controlled stadiums as organisers look to reduce the impact of extreme temperatures.
Why Heat Could Become a Major Factor at World Cup 2026
According to FIFA, players selected for this tournament represent 449 different clubs from 71 countries, the widest talent pool ever assembled for a World Cup.
Many of those players have never experienced heat like this in a competitive setting. The ones who adapt fastest will have an advantage that has nothing to do with their ranking.
Nearly half of all group-stage matches kick off between 1 am and 6 am Central European Time, disrupting sleep patterns for players based in Europe.
Combined with the heat and travel across multiple time zones, the tournament presents a set of challenges unlike those faced at previous World Cups. The tournament starts June 11.
