Players Face 'Super Difficult' Challenges as Two Major 2026 World Cup Problems Loom
England's national team player Reece James has raised concerns about the weather conditions and field quality in the United States in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
James and his Chelsea squad captured the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup title in the U.S. during the summer months. The team captain participated in five matches throughout the expanded tournament, gaining direct exposure to the summer climate conditions expected in 2026.
Characterizing the conditions as "challenging," the 25-year-old emphasized that England is factoring in the weather when strategizing for the upcoming tournament.
"It's been a central point that the conditions will be demanding during America's midsummer period. Everyone understands this reality. We're working to prepare as thoroughly as possible for those circumstances," James stated to reporters during England's Wednesday press briefing.
"Playing in such intense heat creates extremely challenging conditions. Particularly for those of us competing in England, we haven't experienced anything comparable before. Once you're there, you gradually adjust the longer you remain, when you're established in one location and attempt to minimize the variables you can control."
James disclosed that England intends to arrive in the U.S. ahead of schedule to allow proper adjustment to the environmental conditions.
Field Quality Issues Resurface as Major Concern
More troubling was James reigniting the field quality discussion with fewer than seven months remaining before the World Cup begins.
"The playing surfaces during our time there weren't of the highest standard either and created additional challenges. Hopefully, by the time the World Cup arrives, conditions will have improved," James acknowledged, though he didn't identify which specific venues were problematic.
Chelsea competed at four separate venues during the Club World Cup, with three of those facilities scheduled to host matches during the 2026 global tournament.
The defender isn't the first athlete in recent times to criticize American playing surfaces, particularly among Club World Cup participants. Former Palmeiras striker Estêvão similarly criticized the field conditions at MetLife Stadium during their group phase encounter against Porto. This venue is designated to host the World Cup championship match.
MetLife has long been a contentious location due to its artificial turf surface. The alarming frequency of career-threatening injuries in NFL games at the facility initially sparked concerns, though natural grass was installed for the Club World Cup per FIFA requirements. Nevertheless, these modifications appear inadequate in players' assessments.
Argentina's Emiliano Martínez and Lionel Scaloni similarly criticized field conditions during the 2024 Copa América when competing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.