England manager Thomas Tuchel says he may have his substitutes stay in the dressing room during matches at the World Cup next summer because of the risks posed by high temperatures.
Speaking on the eve of the World Cup draw in Washington DC, Tuchel told BBC Sport: “If this is what helps us later in matches when they come on, we have to consider it a possibility.
“Nobody likes it because I want the players to be out there to feel the energy and give us energy from the bench on to the field.
“But I saw players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it. It’s always better when they can be with us outside.”
With the tournament taking place across the US, Canada and Mexico in June and July 2026, experts warn that high temperatures, wildfires and even hurricanes could affect teams, fans and stadium workers.
The recent Pitches in Peril report – compiled by pressure groups Football for the Future and Common Goal – found that 10 of the 16 venues for the World Cup are at “very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions.”
The scheduling of last June and July’s Club World Cup drew complaints from players and managers as matches took place in extreme heat.
“It’s an issue for high-level football – it will reduce the intensity of the matches,” Tuchel said of the impact the heat will have.
“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.
“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.”
On scheduling headaches and the need to travel large distances between venues, Tuchel said: “We have to be prepared to accept difficulties. It will be hot, it will be humid, it will be a lot of travelling, it 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.”
‘I know the players I want’
There has been much speculation over who will make England’s World Cup squad – Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham have been absent from recent squads – but Tuchel says he knows who he wants to take across the Atlantic.
“I’m not sure if I know the starting XI but I know players I’m certain I want to have with us in the US. I know also there’s some players who are very likely to start but let’s take it step by step,” he said.
“It’s my job to get to know the players, have a picture, an opinion, and then pick them and stick with them because they did so well to earn my trust. I have a clear idea.”
Tuchel admitted he is more confident that England can win the tournament for the first time since 1966 than when he took charge at the start of the year.
“We’ve got closer, we’ve got better. For my belief, I needed the camps in September, October, November, and the way the camps, the results and the group went together,” he said.
“Since then, our belief – mine and the group together – grew, and we will arrive to make a special thing happen. We cannot guarantee it but we will arrive with the biggest goal.
“Tomorrow is the next step towards the tournament, and it’s a big step of course. The excitement will be enormous.”
‘No team wants to play us’
England will be in pot one for Friday’s draw, and as one of the top four seeds will not be able to face any of France, Spain or Argentina before the semi-finals if all four win their respective groups.
After England won all eight of their qualifiers while scoring 22 goals and conceding none, Tuchel is hoping to name a squad that nobody will want to face.
“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.
“Then hopefully we get the momentum and the energy around the team right so that, during the tournament, no-one wants to play against us.”
The Three Lions will play two friendly matches immediately before the tournament, and Tuchel has potential opponents in mind.
“We need to wait until the draw but we have a clear idea against whom we want to play,” he said. “It’s a tricky window because it’s friendly matches.
“It’s preparation for the World Cup but don’t forget, right before the World Cup we have two friendly matches to play.
“A lot of players will hopefully be involved in the Champions League, FA Cup semi-finals, finals, the Carabao Cup, Europa League, Conference League.
“It can become a tricky window for us in terms of how to approach it and in terms of who to play against – but the tendency [intention] is that we will play very competitive matches and we will figure out with what group we do this [in order] to learn the most and [gain] the most from it.”
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