When Thomas Tuchel addressed the England squad in March 2025 he set a clear target: win a second World Cup and end a 60-year wait. The group he named provoked debate, with no Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White or Trent Alexander-Arnold included and the surprise recall of Ivan Toney after a prolific spell for Al Ahli. Tuchel described his selection as prioritising the collective, saying the group were “committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish,” while noting several players carried knocks.
Preparations included matches in testing conditions. England travelled to humid Florida and scraped past New Zealand 1-0 through Harry Kane, then beat Costa Rica 3-0 after a delayed kickoff caused by thunderstorms. Arsenal players were absent for part of the build-up, another factor for Tuchel to manage as several squad members entered the tournament clearly fatigued after a long season.
Minutes accumulation is a central concern. Outfield players with the most Premier League minutes this season include Virgil van Dijk, James Garner and Jarrod Bowen, with Morgan Rogers, Marc Guéhi, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson also showing heavy workloads. “Our players will be tired after a long season. That’s just how it is,” Tuchel said at the squad announcement. FIFPRO held a press conference warning over player burnout, specifically citing figures such as Rice and warning the quality of the competition could suffer as a result.
Adapting to climate and recovery measures has formed part of England’s work. The side sought advice from Team GB on coping with high temperatures ahead of their tournament opener in Dallas, and Tuchel conceded before the squad flew out that “conditions [are] not to our advantage.” The coaching staff have used monitoring methods introduced during a warm-weather camp last June, including capsules to measure internal body temperature and cooling rates. “We’ve had help from Team GB and specialists all over the world to come up with solutions that help the players to adapt,” Tuchel said.
Fitness doubts persist for several selected players. Reece James, Tino Livramento, Bukayo Saka and John Stones were all included despite disrupted months. Livramento sustained a thigh injury in late April but played 45 minutes off the bench against New Zealand and was unused against Costa Rica. James missed six weeks with a hamstring issue from March to May, then featured for Chelsea late in the season and logged 30 minutes against New Zealand and 63 minutes versus Costa Rica. Tuchel said Saka carried an Achilles knock from March through the end of the season and needed to be “taken care” of, though he did appear as a second-half substitute in Orlando.
