CoreCtrl, hidden Lucozade pouches and ice slushies: inside England's World Cup hydration strategy

Thomas Tuchel has built a detailed hydration strategy around the extreme heat of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, with England players consuming a specialist thermoregulation drink, a custom electrolyte mix and ice slushies during the mandatory mid-half breaks.

FIFA requires two three-minute hydration breaks per match at this tournament, typically around the 22nd minute of the first half and the 67th minute of the second half. England face Argentina on Wednesday.

During those breaks, Tuchel’s players are reportedly drinking CoreCtrl, a thermoregulation beverage produced by Truefuels, the nutrition brand co-founded by triathlete Alistair Brownlee. Unlike standard sports drinks, CoreCtrl is formulated specifically to help the body regulate its rising internal temperature rather than simply replace lost minerals. Its active ingredients include L-Taurine and a mint flavour, which are said to help cool the body and delay performance decline during high-intensity sprinting.

England’s sports science team is reported to have placed a significant pre-tournament order for the product in preparation for the American heat.

Alongside CoreCtrl, players are seen sipping from fluid pouches whose logos are covered with stickers. Those pouches contain a custom high-sodium electrolyte mix developed by Lucozade specifically for the England squad. Because Lucozade is not an official FIFA tournament sponsor, its branding must be hidden during matches. Team nutritionists are said to have ruled out plain water in these conditions on the grounds that it passes through the body too quickly without effectively rehydrating cells at a cellular level.

Ice slushies form the third pillar of the approach. Consuming crushed ice is reported to lower core body temperature more rapidly than liquids alone, helping keep the cardiovascular system stable across a full 90 minutes. Staff have reportedly given the recovery blends personalised names — including “Bluekayo Saka” and “Thomas Too Cool” — as a light-hearted touch for the squad.

Tuchel has publicly voiced reservations about the hydration breaks themselves, though the detail of those comments was not included in the available source material. The strategy as a whole reflects a broader trend at this World Cup, where heat management has become as tactically significant as formation or set-piece preparation.