Thomas Tuchel has expressed complete confidence that England can mount a genuine World Cup challenge after observing his squad's unity and quality during recent training sessions. The new England manager told Sky Sports News that conversations with players have convinced him they possess the necessary qualities to compete in the tournament's latter stages.

Twenty-one of Tuchel's 26-man squad will begin a 10-day acclimatisation camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, with many players already in the US or Caribbean following the manager's advice. However, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, and Ebere Eze will arrive later after being granted extra recovery time following Arsenal's Champions League final defeat.

The FA has prepared extensively for North American conditions, building heat chambers in Barcelona and using biometric tablets to monitor players' internal temperatures during intense training. Sports scientists have worked for over a year on cooling strategies and adaptation plans for temperatures reaching the high-30s Celsius with 75% humidity.

Tuchel acknowledged the environmental challenges but refused to make excuses, emphasizing that England's opening match against Croatia on June 17 will be indoors with air conditioning. His squad's response to the difficult phone calls about selections and the supportive reactions from non-selected players demonstrate the unity needed for a serious World Cup challenge.