England defender Reece James has warned that his teammates must prepare for “super difficult conditions” at the 2026 World Cup in North America, after experiencing extreme summer heat during Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign earlier this year.

James, who captained Chelsea during the tournament held in the United States from June 14 to July 13, recalled playing through a heatwave in Philadelphia and thunderstorms in Charlotte. He said England’s preparations for next summer’s World Cup are already factoring in the challenges of the North American climate.

The expanded 48-team tournament will include 104 matches across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Venues such as Dallas, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Monterrey, and Guadalajara—where June and July temperatures regularly top 33°C (91°F)—are expected to be particularly demanding.

“Everyone is aware of that, and we’re trying to prepare as best we can,” James told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s super difficult conditions to play in that kind of heat. Especially for us, coming from England, there’s nothing quite like it.”
“You feel the heat the moment you step outside the hotel,” he added. “You do adapt the longer you’re there, especially if you’re settled in one place and manage your routine carefully. Later kick-offs, when it’s not so hot and humid, would definitely help.”

Some venues—such as Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Toronto—are expected to offer cooler conditions, but James warned that poor pitch quality could still pose a problem.
“The pitches when we were there weren’t the greatest either, and that made things a little bit harder,” he said. “Hopefully by the time the World Cup comes around, that will have improved.”
England will wrap up their World Cup qualifying campaign this week, hosting Serbia on Thursday before visiting Albania on Sunday.