Away from the football itself, one of the major stories out of the 2026 World Cup has been the conditions that players – and fans – have faced during matches.
It wasn’t just the heat – humidity, lightning, and rain have all impacted games.
While England did benefit from some fixtures being played in air-conditioned stadiums with roofs, such as in Atlanta against DR Congo, other conditions were less forgiving. Those included the stifling humidity and soaring temperatures in Miami for their quarter-final against Norway.
The much-discussed altitude of Mexico’s Azteca stadium for England’s round of 16 match against the co-host nation was perceived to be a major hurdle for the squad to overcome. That was before you took into account Mexico’s fearsome home record and notoriously raucous atmosphere at the ground.
Despite this, England adapted well and never seemed to be struggling due to the external factors imposed on them during games – or at least, managed to struggle less than their opponents.
While pre-tournament training camps to adjust to the conditions will have helped with preparation, it is testament to the players’ mental and physical strength that they managed to persevere in oppressive conditions better suited to opponents accustomed to playing in extreme weather. That could stand them in good stead for the more familiar conditions that will be present at Euro 2028.
