Reece James shares Club World Cup heat insights with Tuchel ahead of 2026 World Cup

Reece James is drawing on his experience of leading Chelsea to Club World Cup glory in the United States to help Thomas Tuchel prepare England for this summer’s World Cup on American soil. The right-back confirmed the England manager has quizzed him directly on how to handle the conditions.

“Yeah, we’ve spoken about the set-up, what worked, what didn’t, having a base, stuff like that,” James told GQ Magazine. “I thought about (the World Cup) a lot (last summer). The climate, conditions, the pitch. It’s difficult to go over there in the middle of summer, especially when we play in England where the weather’s not so perky, so to get used to the conditions a year before (means) I can take a lot going forward.”

Chelsea’s path to the inaugural re-imagined Club World Cup title last summer gave James a first-hand education in the extremes of American summer weather. Their last-16 tie against Benfica in Charlotte was suspended for nearly two hours mid-match due to a thunderstorm, yet the Blues still completed a game that stretched beyond four hours. They went on to defeat Palmeiras and Fluminense before beating Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

James will now return to the United States as part of Tuchel’s England squad, though he will do so without Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer, who scored the decisive goal in last year’s Club World Cup final but was not selected by Tuchel for the tournament.

The World Cup assignment also marks a reunion between James and Tuchel, who worked together at Stamford Bridge in 2021, winning the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup. James was effusive about his former manager’s credentials. “He’s one of the best managers. For me, he’s won at the highest level. He’s managed a number of world-class teams and I believe in him, his style of play and what he wants,” he said.

With temperatures in several host cities expected to be intense during the tournament, England’s ability to acclimatise quickly could prove a meaningful advantage — and James’s direct experience of competing in those conditions gives Tuchel a rare and practical resource as planning intensifies.