Tuchel warns of 'unbearable' World Cup heat and trims training ahead of England fixtures

Thomas Tuchel described the conditions he encountered in the United States as "crazy hot" and "sometimes almost unbearable," and said the experience has prompted him to cut down on training days despite limited time to prepare ahead of England's upcoming fixtures and next summer's World Cup.

The Chelsea manager, speaking after a stint in the U.S. for the Club World Cup, said the heat — both dry and humid — made it difficult to stage intensive sessions and influenced his decision to limit the number of training days this week. "We don't mould and create the game model now for the USA in these four [training] sessions this week," Tuchel said, signalling a preference for conserving players and focusing on match readiness rather than introducing major tactical changes in hot conditions.

Tuchel said the experience of watching matches at varying times and under differing roof conditions reinforced his caution. He pointed to the contrasting routes taken by the Club World Cup finalists — Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain — as evidence that travel, kick‑off times and local climate can all affect preparation. He also revealed he visited a training site north of Miami that he is considering for a potential pre‑tournament camp ahead of next summer.

The manager stressed that the decision to reduce full training days was pragmatic. With limited sessions available before England face minnows Andorra and then travel to Serbia in the coming days, Tuchel explained his priority was protecting player fitness and sharpness rather than overloading them physically in conditions he warned would be replicated at the World Cup in the United States.

Tuchel's comments follow a period of intense fixture congestion and long‑distance travel for club teams competing in international tournaments in the U.S. He noted that preparation for a tournament staged across wide geographic areas requires different planning to standard international windows, including consideration of humidity, mid‑afternoon kickoffs and stadium design — factors that can alter heat exposure during both training and match play.

The Chelsea manager declined to detail the precise structure of the trimmed training plan but said the approach would allow the squad to maintain match intensity while reducing the risk of heat‑related fatigue and injury. He also indicated that any long‑term adjustments to England's playing style would be handled away from the immediate training block, with more refined work earmarked for a longer camp in more suitable conditions.

England's short‑term schedule — a home match against Andorra followed by an away trip to Serbia — gives limited time for implementation of new ideas. Tuchel framed the upcoming fixtures as opportunities to assess players and consolidate a core approach rather than to overhaul the team's tactical identity ahead of the World Cup.

His remarks underscore a rising focus among national teams on environmental conditions when planning pre‑tournament camps and warm‑up matches. As organisers and national federations refine logistics for a World Cup staged across varied U.S. climates, managers must balance tactical preparation with practical measures to protect players from extreme heat. Tuchel's decision to trim training days reflects that balancing act and highlights climate as a growing factor in elite football preparation.