The England men’s national team has begun their training for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in West Palm Beach. This year’s tournament includes several U.S. host cities with challenging heat conditions.

Training in Florida’s heat is a key part of preparation, comparable to strategic training sessions. Forecasts indicate high temperatures in many host cities, necessitating innovative approaches.

Sami Mokbel from BBC Sport reports that England plans to use advanced palm-cooling technology to tackle the heat. Cooling palms is shown to reduce core body temperature, aiding recovery and enhancing performance in matches.

England intends to use these devices during training and scheduled water breaks throughout the World Cup matches. NPR highlights that 67 of 104 matches are in locations with potential heat illness risks, with 39 considered highly risky.

England’s World Cup journey begins against Croatia at AT&T Stadium, Dallas, on June 17, where temperatures are expected to reach a high of 90 degrees with a ‘realfeel’ of 97 degrees. Fortunately, the stadium’s roof may mitigate these conditions.

Following that, England will face Ghana at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on June 23 and Panama at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 27. With England reaching the quarterfinals in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the goal is to match or surpass that achievement this time around. Currently, England is third in terms of odds to win their first World Cup since 1966.