Jordan Henderson on England's Adaptation to American Heat for World Cup

Jordan Henderson insists England will grow into the American heat as the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup tightens.

The Brentford midfielder played the first 45 minutes of the Three Lions’ 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, Florida, a game that felt as much like a fitness test as a friendly. The air was heavy, the sun unforgiving, and every sprint looked like hard labour.

Harry Kane settled it with a trademark header seconds before half-time, nodding in the game’s only goal. Thomas Tuchel used the occasion to rotate heavily, sending out one XI for the first half and an entirely different one for the second, with Henderson anchoring the opening period.

For the 34-year-old, the conditions were as instructive as the performance.

“You just build your capacity to these conditions,” he told the BBC, underlining that this week is about more than tactics or patterns of play. “I know that depends on where you're playing in the country, it can be different all over so it's hard to really adapt but it's about this week to build that capacity, to get used to the heat a little bit.

“The warm-up games will be good for that as well and to get that exposure just best we can, we've got an amazing team behind the team and how much research they've done and tried to cool down and recovery and all that sort of stuff so that's top, top level.

“Hopefully that can give us a little edge as well when we get into the tournament but it's the same for everyone so we've just got to go and try to just concentrate on the football.”

England now head into their final pre-World Cup friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday (9pm BST), another chance to stress-test legs and lungs before the real thing begins. Their tournament opener comes against Croatia in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday 17 June (9pm BST), a fixture that promises high stakes and high temperatures.

Brazil sharpen in Ohio, Scotland cruise in New Jersey

While England sweated in Florida, Brazil were finding their own rhythm in Cleveland, Ohio.

Igor Thiago led the line as Carlo Ancelotti’s side edged Egypt 2-1. Bruno Guimarães struck early, only for Mostafa Zico to hit back quickly and level the contest. The game turned after the break. Ancelotti made eight changes at half-time, one of them Brentford striker Thiago, and the fresh legs tilted the balance.

The pressure told when Endrick, picked out by Raphinha, guided a precise finish into the far corner. It was enough. Brazil managed the closing stages and banked a useful win as they look ahead to their Group C opener against Morocco in New York on Saturday 13 June (11pm BST).

Scotland, meanwhile, cut loose in Harrison, New Jersey.

Aaron Hickey played just over an hour as Steve Clarke’s side dismantled Bolivia 4-0, all four goals coming before the interval. Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring, Scott McTominay added another, and Che Adams struck twice to complete a ruthless first-half display.

Clarke’s team will not complain about such a clean, confident tune-up before their own Group C campaign begins against Haiti in Boston on Sunday 14 June (2am BST).

Ajer tested as Norway hold Morocco

At the same venue in Harrison, Kristoffer Ajer and Norway were given a very different kind of workout.

Morocco struck first through Brahim Díaz, seizing an early advantage and asking Norway to chase. Martin Ødegaard answered after the break, levelling the game and ensuring it finished 1-1.

Ajer, deployed in the heart of defence, played 72 minutes and came through another demanding evening as his preparations for the summer deepen.

From Tampa to Cleveland to New Jersey, the pattern is clear: the games now are about more than scorelines. They are about bodies learning climates, squads finding edges, and players like Henderson, Thiago, Hickey and Ajer pushing themselves towards a World Cup that will not wait for anyone to catch their breath.