Dec 4 : England manager Thomas Tuchel said he might keep his substitutes in the dressing room during matches at the 2026 World Cup next summer in an attempt to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.
“If this helps the players later in the match, we have to consider it,” Tuchel told BBC Sport on Thursday.
“Nobody likes it because I want the players to be out there, feeling the energy and bringing it from the bench on to the pitch. But I saw players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it,” the manager added.
Scorching heat was a major concern at the Club World Cup in the U.S. last June, when medical experts and players’ unions expressed concerns about heat stress, dehydration and slower recovery times.
Tuchel admitted that this would be problematic for high-level football, saying it would reduce the intensity of matches in the global event co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“You can’t play the same football in 45°C as in 21°C. We need to adapt and prepare the players as well as possible,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Tuchel expressed growing optimism about England’s prospects.
“I’m more confident than ever that this team can win the tournament, as we’ve grown closer and stronger. We are arriving with the biggest goal,” he said.
England won all eight of their qualifiers, scoring 22 goals and conceding none. They are in pot one for Friday’s draw, meaning that, as they are among the top four seeds, they will not have to face France, Spain or Argentina before the semi-finals as long as all four win their respective groups.
“We need to wait until the draw but we have a clear idea against whom we want to play. We’re getting closer. I think we’re getting stronger. The target is to arrive in June with a strong squad and the emphasis is on the squad and the team spirit,” he said.