England players have been subjected to gruelling heat acclimatisation sessions under new manager Thomas Tuchel as preparation intensifies for the 2026 World Cup.
The squad completed 45-minute cycling sessions inside specially heated tents maintained at 36C whilst swallowing biometric tablets that allowed FA medical staff to monitor their internal body temperatures and heart rates.
The extreme fitness tests took place at a training camp in Girona, Spain, where players were pushed to maintain specific power outputs on exercise bikes despite the oppressive conditions.
The innovative training methods are designed to prepare the team for the challenging temperatures expected across the United States, Canada and Mexico during next summer's tournament.
Eberechi Eze found the training very demanding
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Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze described the experience as particularly challenging, revealing the demanding nature of the sessions.
"After taking those tablets, you had to be on the bike for about 45 minutes and just had to keep going," Eze said. "They monitored your heart rate and they monitored your actual body temperature."
The 26-year-old admitted: "It was quite difficult to do and 45 minutes is a long time on a bike."
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Chelsea's Cole Palmer echoed these sentiments, explaining the technical demands of the exercise.
"It was tough. It was 36C inside the tents and we had to get to a certain watts or something on a bike and maintain it," the 23-year-old said.
The heat preparation extends beyond theoretical training, with striker Ivan Toney offering practical insights from his experience playing in Saudi Arabia's extreme temperatures.
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Players had to train in tents held at 35C
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"You can't blast out running crazy for 90-plus minutes," the 29-year-old Al-Ahli player explained. "It has to be tactical when you make the runs and these kind of things change your game a bit but it is good."
Toney acknowledged the necessary adaptations: "You have to change your game a little bit and maybe you have to sit back for a bit or keep the ball for a bit."
For Eze, this marked his first experience with such intensive heat training methods.
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"It was the first time for me doing something like this," he confirmed.
The squad has been based at the Camiral Golf and Wellness Centre outside Girona, which will host the 2031 Ryder Cup, before travelling to Barcelona for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra at Espanyol's stadium.
England will then face Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham's City Ground on Tuesday.
Thomas Tuchel is starting his World Cup preparations early
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For Eze, the camp follows a memorable season that culminated in Crystal Palace's historic FA Cup triumph over Manchester City.
"For me, the most special thing is when you speak to fans and you see the fans' faces and you get to understand what it truly means to them," he reflected.
The forward also celebrated scoring his first England goal against Latvia in March, describing it as "a special moment" that "brought more confidence."
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