One of the biggest concerns about the 2026 World Cup is the weather this summer. The World Cup will be played in many cities, bringing hot conditions that many players are not accustomed to.
The concerns grew when fans worldwide saw the conditions during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where players played in extreme heat in cities such as New York, New Jersey, Miami, and others.
On The Overlap Podcast, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino was asked about the weather conditions and how they could be a factor in his game planning for World Cup games.
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Pochettino highlights the 2025 Gold Cup last summer, but still has a few concerns about how it could affect his players. Pochettino was asked about how he and his team will have to adapt to the conditions this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino on World Cup Weather Conditions
Mauricio Pochettino was asked about how he will approach games to prepare his team for the World Cup this summer, which promises hot conditions.
Pochettino said, "The experience in the Gold Cup last year, in the summer, makes us feel what is going to happen in the World Cup... We needed to adapt to the weather. I think it is important for us to have this experience because we already know [the conditions]."
Considering the weather conditions, Pochettino suggests that managing certain things with the squad will be crucial to help the team. Pochettino will tell his team to press other teams if he has players with the characteristics to press players.
This involves pressing teams in hot conditions, which will be difficult for players, but he will adapt to his players instead of sticking to one game plan.
Pichettino said, "I think it is important how you are going to manage and to have different strategies during the game, and being flexible...I believe less in a closed philosophy...I am a coach who likes to press, but what I like is one thing, what I can do is another different thing."
