England is equipping its players with specialist palm-cooling devices to manage expected high temperatures at the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The technology aims to lower core body temperature during training and matches. Players have already encountered 32C conditions during early sessions in Florida.
England’s squad began adapting to the heat during a training session in West Palm Beach, Florida, where temperatures hit 32C on Tuesday. The team plans to use the palm-cooling devices in both training and at scheduled cooling breaks in matches. Midfielder Jordan Henderson highlighted the focus on building physical capacity in the conditions. “This first week is about building capacity to the conditions,” he said. “The warm-up games will be good for that.” England faces warm-up matches against New Zealand on June 6 and Costa Rica on June 10. The side, coached by Thomas Tuchel, opens its group stage against Croatia on June 17, followed by Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27. Sports science staff have conducted research on cooling and recovery methods, which Henderson believes could provide an edge during the tournament.
