England head coach Thomas Tuchel has advised members of his World Cup squad to spend their post-season holidays in the United States time zones to aid acclimatisation ahead of the tournament.
A total of 21 players from the 26-man squad are expected to arrive in Florida on Monday for a pre-tournament training camp, where England will also play warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica on 6 and 10 June.
The guidance comes as part of preparations to help players adjust to conditions in North America, with many understood to have already spent their off-season in the United States or the Caribbean on Tuchel’s recommendation.
Climate and time-zone adaptation are expected to play a key role during the tournament, with studies suggesting nearly a quarter of matches could be played in temperatures above 26°C. England’s training base in Kansas City, Missouri, sits six hours behind UK time, while their opening Group L match against Croatia in Dallas shares the same time difference.
Group matches against Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey will take place in a five-hour time difference zone from the UK.
To optimise preparation, Tuchel encouraged players to travel west during their break before linking up with the squad. Several players involved in European finals this week — including Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, and Dean Henderson — will join the camp later, alongside younger Premier League talents such as Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Josh King, Jason Steele, and Rio Ngumoha.
