England international Reece James called out the weather and pitch conditions in the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
James and Chelsea won the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. this past summer. The club captain made five appearances in the expanded competition, getting some first-hand experience of what the summer conditions would be like come 2026.
Describing the “difficult” conditions, the 25-year-old insisted England are keeping the weather in mind when preparing for the tournament.
“It’s been a key message that the conditions will be tough in the middle of the summer in America. Everyone is aware of that. We’re trying to prepare as best we can for that,” James told assembled media at England’s press conference on Wednesday.
“It’s super difficult conditions to play in that heat. Especially for us playing in England, there’s not anything like that before. Once you are out there you adapt the longer you are there, when you are settled in one place and try to limit the things you can.”
James revealed England plan on arriving to the U.S. early to get themselves acclimated to the environment.
