England Manager Considers Keeping Substitutes in Dressing Room During World Cup

England Manager Considers Keeping Substitutes in Dressing Room During World Cup

England Manager Considers Keeping Substitutes in Dressing Room During World Cup

England manager Thomas Tuchel has suggested that he may keep substitutes in the dressing room during matches at next summer's World Cup due to concerns about high temperatures.

Speaking on the eve of the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., Tuchel told BBC sports editor Dan Roan, "If this is what helps us later in matches when they come on, we have to consider it as a possibility."

He added, "Nobody likes it because I want the players to be out there to feel the energy and to transfer that energy from the bench to the field. However, I observed players doing this at the Club World Cup, and hopefully, we can avoid it. It’s always better when they can be with us outside."

As the tournament is set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June and July 2026, experts are warning that extreme heat, wildfires, and even hurricanes could pose risks to teams, fans, and stadium workers.

The recent report titled "Pitches in Peril," compiled by advocacy groups Football for the Future and Common Goal, found that ten of the sixteen World Cup venues are at "very high risk of experiencing extreme heat stress conditions."

Tuchel noted that the scheduling of last June and July's Club World Cup drew complaints from players and managers, as matches were held in extreme heat. "It’s an issue for high-level football—it will reduce the intensity of the matches," he remarked regarding the potential impact of the heat.

He continued, "It will diminish the number of intense runs, both offensively and defensively. The match and our strategies will naturally need to adapt. You cannot play the same style of football in 45°C as you would in 21°C. We need to prepare the players as effectively as possible. We must adapt to the heat and implement cooling systems, and we are actively working on this. We have invested significant effort into it, and we will be ready when the tournament begins."

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