There is a long-standing belief that European sides will struggle in the North American heat

England Euro 2024 squad England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts during the international friendly match between England and Bosnia & Herzegovina at St James' Park on June 03, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) — Jordan Pickford has dicussed the climate issues that England will face this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of the many talking points ahead of this summer’s World Cup is the climate.

Players and fans alike were given a sneak preview of the weather conditions that they can expect in the coming weeks during last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, where several matches were delayed or suspended due to thunderstorms.

Punishing heat also played its part, meaning that cooling breaks will be integrated into every game this summer, with the action being paused 22 minutes into each half.

Jordan Pickford on England vs the climate

The age-old wisdom is that this kind of hot weather will favour South American sides, as European teams will toil in the heat.

But for England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who is preparing for his third World Cup in a third continent, the correct preparation can ensure that the Three Lions do not fit this narrative.

“We know it’s going to be hot,” Pickford tells FourFourTwo. “But that’s why we’re heading there early to take part in a preparation camp and play two matches in those conditions.”

These two friendlies will take place in Florida, with Thomas Tuchel’s men taking on New Zealand in Tampa Bay on June 6, before facing Costa Rica in Orlando four days later, which then gives the team a week to finalise preparations for their Group L opener against Croatia in Arlington, Texas.

“We plan things very well, so I think we’ll be prepared for every eventuality when we kick off on June 17,” he adds.

Should England trouble the final stages of the tournament, it will mean the team will have spent more than six weeks in America, which in turn presents fresh challenges for the squad.

“Our team behind the team does an amazing job of making us feel at home as much as possible while we’re away,” Pickford says when asked about spending so long in a hotel environment.

England have two tricky World Cup qualifiers to navigate through over the next few days — Tuchel is in his first international job (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Mentally, you don’t get many chances to go to a tournament in an England shirt, so you have to take pride in it, try to enjoy the ride and make as many memories as you can, on and off the pitch, building a bond with team-mates.

“The football kind of takes care of itself, so it’s more about making sure that the environment away from the matches is as good as it can be, because that can carry you a long way.

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For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

With contributions from

Nick Judd