Jordan Henderson: England Will Adapt to US Heat Ahead of World Cup
Jordan Henderson insists England will grow into the heat of the United States as the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup sharpens.
The Brentford midfielder played the first 45 minutes of England’s 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, a game played in draining, suffocating conditions more reminiscent of a mid-summer training camp than a low-key friendly. Harry Kane settled it with a trademark header seconds before the interval, but the real battle for England was against the climate.
Thomas Tuchel used the occasion to rotate heavily, sending out a different XI in each half as he probed his options and tested fitness levels in the Florida furnace. Henderson, one of those trusted to start, knows these minutes are about more than sharpness on the ball.
"You just build your capacity to these conditions," he told the BBC, speaking with the matter-of-fact tone of a player who has been through tournament build-ups before. He acknowledged the challenge of a country as vast and varied as the US, where humidity and temperature can swing dramatically from state to state. The task this week, he stressed, is simple: expose the squad to the heat, let the body adjust, and bank that experience before the real thing begins.
The staff behind the scenes are already deep into the science. Henderson pointed to the “top, top level” work being done on cooling, recovery and preparation, convinced that the marginal gains could offer England an edge when the tournament kicks off. But he was quick to strip it back to basics too: the conditions are the same for everyone, and once the whistle blows, it comes down to football.
England face Costa Rica on Wednesday at 9pm BST in their final warm-up fixture before flying into the World Cup proper. Then comes the real test: Croatia in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday 17 June, another 9pm BST kick-off, another date with the heat.
Brazil, Scotland and Norway tune up in the States
Across the Atlantic, other World Cup hopefuls were also putting in hard miles on American soil.
In Cleveland, Ohio, Igor Thiago led the line as Brazil edged Egypt 2-1. Bruno Guimarães struck early, only for Mostafa Zico to hit back almost immediately, a sharp reminder that even in friendlies, Brazil rarely get it all their own way.
The game tilted again just after the break. Carlo Ancelotti, never shy of a bold change, made eight substitutions at half-time, one of them Brentford striker Thiago. The reshaped side found the winner when Endrick, picked out by Raphinha, curled into the far corner to settle a competitive contest. Brazil now turn their attention to New York, where they open their Group C campaign against Morocco on Saturday 13 June at 11pm BST.
In Harrison, New Jersey, Scotland delivered one of the standout scorelines of the night, dismantling Bolivia 4-0. Aaron Hickey played just over an hour as Steve Clarke’s team tore through their opponents in a ruthless first half.
Lawrence Shankland, Scott McTominay and a brace from Che Adams had the game effectively finished by the interval, the kind of confident, clinical performance that managers crave heading into a major tournament. Scotland’s reward is momentum, and a Group C opener against Haiti in Boston in the early hours of Sunday 14 June (2am BST) that now carries a different kind of expectation.
On the same American circuit, Kristoffer Ajer’s Norway fought out a 1-1 draw with Morocco, also in Harrison. Brahim Díaz gave Morocco an early lead, only for Martin Ødegaard to level in the second half. Ajer, another Brentford presence on international duty, played 72 minutes as Norway continued to shape their plans.
The friendlies are ticking down, the experiments narrowing. Soon, there will be no more room for trial runs — only the unforgiving heat, the spotlight, and the reality of a World Cup played on American time.
