Declan Rice said he got a telling off from his mum after turning up to a World Cup photoshoot bright red, a small scene that says plenty about the heat England are already facing in the United States. The midfielder said the first day in the sun was tough as he and his teammates tried to get used to conditions before their campaign begins.
Rice was noticeably pink in the pre-tournament snaps, and fans on social media had already been poking fun at his beetroot-red face and the watch strap tan line that came with it. He said he knew he had started to acclimatise only when the sunburn went, and added: “I think everyone's seen them photos... I was bright red at that photoshoot, my mum was killing me.”
England's World Cup opener against Croatia is set for 17 June in Arlington, Texas, where temperatures have hit 36C this week. That is the reality behind the jokes. Players from all 48 nations have been travelling for days to get used to the heat in the US, Mexico and Canada, and Fifa has already put drinks breaks at the midway point in each half into every game.
Rice said the adjustment has been immediate and physical. “Honestly, the first day was tough, just getting used to that heat - when you come from England and it's hot, cold, all different types of weather,” he said. “Then you come here and, regardless of whether it's hot or cold, it's 30C and it really does hit you in the face when you're running.”
England have been preparing for this for weeks, training in heated tents in Spain and later in sweltering conditions in Kansas, but the weather has still found them. Their final warm-up game against Costa Rica in Dallas on Wednesday was delayed by thunderstorms, another reminder that the tournament's challenge is not just heat but instability, too. England know the next test is not a photo shoot or a joke online. It is how quickly they can make the conditions feel normal before Croatia arrive in Arlington.
