Tuchel's Strategic Advice for England: Holiday in US Time Zones Before World Cup
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has recommended that his World Cup squad take holidays in United States time zones prior to the tournament to aid in acclimatization. A significant portion of the team, 21 of the 26-man squad, will arrive in Florida on Monday for their pre-tournament camp. During this time, they will compete in warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica on June 6 and June 10, respectively. Many players are believed to have spent their off-season in the United States or Caribbean, following Tuchel's advice. The impact of weather conditions is expected to be critical, with studies suggesting that nearly a quarter of all World Cup matches could take place in temperatures exceeding 26°C. Adjusting to the US time zones is also crucial, as England's training base is located in Kansas City, Missouri, which operates six hours behind UK time. This is the same time zone as Dallas, where England will face Croatia in their opening group match on June 17. The subsequent Group L games against Ghana and Panama will occur in Boston and New Jersey, respectively, both of which are five hours behind the UK. To ensure the team is prepared from the outset, Tuchel has urged players to travel west for their post-season breaks before reuniting with the squad. Notably, the Arsenal quartet of Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka, along with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, will join the rest of the squad later due to their participation in recent European finals.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-05-31