Palm Beach Gardens (United States) (AFP) – England kicked off their pre-World Cup preparations in Florida on Tuesday, holding a light first training session in hot and humid conditions following their arrival in the United States.
Issued on: 02/06/2026 - 23:00
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England captain Harry Kane (left) leads his team-mates in their opening pre-World Cup training session in Florida © Richard Pelham / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Thomas Tuchel's squad, who are considered among the favourites for the World Cup, have set up camp in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of friendlies against New Zealand on Saturday and Costa Rica next week before relocating to their training camp in Kansas City on June 13.England, who open their World Cup Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, got an early taste of the sweltering heat and humidity they may encounter later in the tournament, when they face Ghana in Boston on June 23 before taking on Panama in New Jersey on June 27.With temperatures on Tuesday reaching 32 degrees Celsius (89.6) in the shade, England's players worked through a series of passing and dribbling drills before a small-sided practice match."I'm used to a lot worse weather than this, rainy and not this temperature," striker Ollie Watkins told reporters. "But it's nice to be out here adapting to what it's going to be like at the World Cup," the 30-year-old Aston Villa forward added.Watkins was part of the England squad that finished runners-up to Spain at the 2024 European Championship in Germany, one of several near-misses experienced by England in recent major tournaments.
