England defender Reece James has urged his teammates to prepare for “extremely challenging conditions” at the 2026 World Cup in North America, following his experience with intense heat during Chelsea’s Club World Cup earlier this year.
As the captain of Chelsea at the Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 13, James played through a heatwave in Philadelphia and thunderstorms in Charlotte. He stated that the England squad is gearing up for the summer heat at the World Cup.
The tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Cities like Dallas, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, where summer temperatures often rise above 33°C (91°F), will pose significant challenges.
“Everyone is aware of this. We’re doing our best to prepare. Playing in such heat is incredibly tough, especially for us coming from England, where we haven’t experienced anything similar,” James mentioned to reporters on Tuesday.
“You feel the heat as soon as you step outside the hotel. You adapt the longer you stay, especially if you settle in one place and manage what you can. Later kick-offs when it’s less hot and humid would be a big help,” he added.
Venues like Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Toronto are expected to offer milder weather during next year’s finals. However, 25-year-old James noted that poor pitch conditions worsened the weather challenges.
“The pitches weren’t the best when we were there, which made things tougher. Hopefully, they’ll improve by the World Cup,” he said.
England will host Serbia on Thursday and visit Albania on Sunday for their final World Cup qualifiers.
