England have been handed a new weapon to combat the extreme heat and humidity expected at next summer’s men’s World Cup by kit maker Nike.
Thomas Tuchel’s team could face heat stress equivalent to almost 50C at the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
But Nike has unveiled its latest technology to mitigate rising temperatures increasingly facing athletes: a fully recycled fabric it has called Aero-Fit and claims facilitates twice as much airflow as previous kit materials.
It will debut at the 2026 World Cup, where England will be among the teams sporting Aero-Fit kits.
“We’re incredibly proud that our jerseys worn next summer will feel light, unrestrictive and comfortable for an entire match,” said Nike’s Janett Nichol.
“That’s the kind of comfort that helps an athlete stay completely focused on the competition for 90-plus minutes.
“Nike exists to make athletes better, and our breakthrough Aero-Fit technology delivers the future of our industry-defining apparel innovation in both elite performance and sustainability at scale.”
England among World Cup favourites
England have been installed as one of the favourites for the World Cup, having reached two finals in their last three major tournaments.
They are likely to have to contend with punishing heat, however, with temperatures in excess of 30C commonplace.
Daytime kick-offs in Houston, Texas, and Monterrey, Mexico, are considered the most at-risk and could see heat stress equivalent – measured by Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) – hit 49C.
Nike says its new Aero-Fit is twice as effective at circulating air as previous kit materials (Image: Nike)
Tuchel wants to take his England squad to Florida for a pre-tournament training camp in order to acclimatise to the heat and humidity.
This year’s Club World Cup in the US was punctuated by extreme weather which caused Fifa to implement mandatory cooling breaks during play.
Other nations set to wear Nike kits at next year’s finals include co-hosts the United States, Brazil and France.