Thomas Tuchel has insisted England will not abandon their playing style because of the high temperatures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying changing approach would mean giving up the team’s biggest strengths.
England begin their Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, where temperatures are expected to exceed 30C.
Although the match will be played inside an air-conditioned stadium, Tuchel acknowledged that the weather across the United States has already affected preparations.
The England manager said his team would remain committed to an aggressive and proactive style despite the demanding conditions, adding that adapting purely because of the heat was not part of his plans.
“They want to be active with the ball,” the German told BBC Sport about his England side before their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday (21:00 BST).
“We have a young group. We have a courageous group. We have a brave group of players.
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“So let’s go for it. I mean, no one guarantees you that we win. So we want to at least try it, our style and our belief.”
Tournament organisers have introduced mandatory hydration breaks because of the high temperatures across the three host nations.
The stoppages effectively divide each half into two periods, allowing players to cool down while giving coaches the opportunity to adjust tactics.
Tuchel admitted the scheduled breaks could influence matches by allowing teams to regroup.
Speaking before the Croatia clash, he said hydration breaks can “change the character of each half”.
The England boss believes starting the tournament indoors in Dallas will allow his side to impose themselves despite the weather, but he admitted training in Kansas City had demonstrated how much the heat can affect players.
“Yesterday, it was very hot even here in training,” Tuchel said.
“And we could feel that it has a more impact than, for example, today. So let’s see.
“I’m just not ready to adapt into a different style of football because of circumstances that we cannot influence. I think we would just give up our strengths.”
Tuchel said England’s preparations were shaped by research conducted during last year’s Club World Cup in the United States.
The findings suggested that while players covered less distance and produced fewer sprints in hot conditions, teams generally maintained their preferred style of play.
“Research about the Club World Cup showed us that the style is pretty much the same, but maybe the repetition is less often,” he said.
“So maybe a player who has maybe 10 to 15% less sprints, less distance. It [the conditions] influenced the volume and the intensity but the style of play not so much.
“In the end we need to have an answer anyway to every scenario.
“So, will we be a lot in possession or will we attack a lot the last third of the opponent? Will they push us back and do we need to defend deep? We need to have answers to everything.”
England will begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia before facing Ghana and Panama in their remaining Group L fixtures.
(BBC)
