England’s Thomas Tuchel may keep subs in dressing room if World Cup heat gets too fierce

LONDON – England manager Thomas Tuchel said he might keep his substitutes in the dressing room during matches at the 2026 World Cup next summer, in an attempt to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.

“If this helps the players later in the match, we have to consider it,” he told BBC Sport on Dec 4.

“Nobody likes it because I want the players to be out there, feeling the energy and bringing it from the bench onto the pitch. But I saw players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it.”

Scorching heat was a major concern at the 2025 Club World Cup in the US last June, when medical experts and players’ unions expressed concerns about heat stress, dehydration and slower recovery times.

Tuchel admitted that this would be problematic for high-level football, saying it would reduce the intensity of matches in the upcoming World Cup which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

“You can’t play the same football in 45 deg C as in 21 deg C. We need to adapt and prepare the players as well as possible,” he added.

Despite the challenges, the German expressed growing optimism about England’s prospects. 

“I’m more confident than ever that this team can win the tournament, as we’ve grown closer and stronger. We are arriving with the biggest goal,” he said.

England won all eight of their qualifiers, scoring 22 goals and conceding none. They are in Pot One for the draw on Dec 5, meaning that, as they are among the top four seeds, they will not have to face France, Spain or Argentina before the semi-finals as long as all four win their respective groups.

“We need to wait until the draw but we have a clear idea against whom we want to play,” he said of the ceremony which took place after press time.

“We’re getting closer. I think we’re getting stronger. The target is to arrive in June with a strong squad and the emphasis is on the squad and the team spirit.”

In other news, Alan Rothenberg, the architect of the 1994 World Cup in the US, said that criticism of the dynamic ticket pricing model for the 2026 tournament reflected the fact that such practices had become commonplace in sports and entertainment.

Debate over ticketing has intensified in recent months, with fans expressing frustration over the model.

However, Rothenberg – who transformed football in the US through his leadership as chairman of the organising committee for the 1994 tournament, as well as co-founding Major League Soccer – argued that this practice is now unavoidable.

“In 1994, there was no concept of dynamic pricing. Today, I think we’re all accustomed to it for concerts and sporting events,” he said. “Some people are obviously priced out, which is a shame.”

FIFA opened ticket sales in September, announcing surging prices, with fans paying different amounts according to market demand and seats starting at US$60 (S$78).

“They start out with basic pricing and then move on to dynamic pricing. For games that might not be as attractive, with teams that are not as highly-ranked, you can still get tickets at an affordable price, so there’s flexibility,” Rothenberg added. REUTERS