England squad train for first time in Miami ahead of 2026 World Cup

England landed in Miami yesterday ahead of the World Cup and they are now holding their first training session and watching it for us is Rob Dorsett.Rob.

Absolutely, Damos.They're here.They're out there.They're on the grass.I have to say, it's a little bit strange, this grass.There's been a lot of talk about it in the tournament so far, but the England players are out there training as we speak to you right now.

It's incredibly hot.Boy, is it hot.It's in excess of 30 degrees Celsius with the humidity.It's up in the mid to high 30s right now.And look, we don't want to talk about the weather consistently and constantly, but it is a big issue for England.It's something that they're going to have to address, which is why they are here in West Palm Beach.

right now him He will be hearing an awful lot from the likes of his captain, Harry Kane, who's right over on the left -hand side.We saw Harry Kane stepping off the plane yesterday, his third World Cup.Huge, huge moment.And I don't think you can overplay what an honour it is to wear the captain's armband for England at a World Cup.There are only 10 living people who have taken the armband at a men's World Cup finals.Harry Kane,

you're seeing out there now, Eric Dyer did it, Stephen Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Peter Shilton, Terry Butcher, Brian Robson and all the way back in 1982, Mick Mills.So it is a real honour for him.And if he plays in a game, which we fully expect him to, of course, he will match Billy Wright in the record of being an England captain with wearing the armband in three World Cups.So a real honour for him.And boy, is he in good form.I think it's significant that he's in such good form, you have to say.

He's had a storming season for Bayern Munich, 63 goals in 55 of appearances for Some of the proper members of the squad, if you like, are not here yet.The four Arsenal players who played in the Champions League.Dean Henderson, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper, who had that Europa Conference League game.He will join up tomorrow.The rest of the Arsenal contingent you'll see out with these guys later next week.They will be here in time for that friendly against New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday, but don't expect them to feature at all in that game.

Their build -up for the World Cup will start next week.

training for the first time since they landed in the USA.Let's go live once again to Rob Dorsett, who is there for us.We can see the players being put through their paces, not least Antony Gordon, who's out there after his big move from Barcelona.

Darwish, it's extraordinary, isn't it?What a week it's been for Antony Gordon.Yes, £70 million move to Barcelona from Newcastle.What is going through this man's mind?It's his first ever World Cup.And, of course, in the Euros,

man's last week and now he's out in West Palm Beach with this England squad preparing for his first World Cup.It's significant for him as well because he only made one appearance at the Euros last summer and a total of five minutes by the way.He came on in the 89th minute in a 0 -0 draw in a group game against Slovenia.So with that in mind you can expect that this will feel very different for him.I expect him to get a lot more game time out here.assists for Newcastle this season despite Newcastle's worries but of course the big debate will be whether it's him or Marcus Rashford who starts on the left wing for England and if you look at Marcus Rashford it's such a favourite of Thomas Tuchel's you have to say.

He was the first player that Thomas Tuchel called after he got the England job 17 months ago to say you are going to be very important for me and he's been very important for Barcelona this season as well.28 goal involvements in all competitions, 14 goals, 14 assists.But of course his club future is completely up in the air right now, Marcus Rashford, because with Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon, do they do they need another left winger to sign in the summer?He's just over on the far side we can see Marcus Rashford look just really slick really slick haircut that he's got in time for the World Cup we've seen himperforming incredibly well and working really hard.He's been out here in Miami.

We're just getting drowned by the sprinklers while I speak to you.You can't believe it.It's the way it always is.You've been here yourself.You've seen it.But in terms of those squad numbers that we've had released today, it's Marcus Rashford who's got number 11.

Does that suggest that in the Thomas Tuchel mind right now, Marcus Rashford is ahead of Anthony Gordon.I think we've seen that in qualifying.I think that's the reality.I think Rashford is slightly ahead of Anthony Gordon in those choices for left wing.We shouldn't read too much into those squad numbers.I think we should make that point.

The fans will.Of course they will.It's really, really interesting what is going to happen there.And I mentioned the sprinklers that have just drowned us here.We weren't expecting that to happen.It's Thomas Tuchel who has been micro -managing those finer details.

He came across to the ground staff and said, look, it's a little bit sticky out there.He doesn't want any of those players you're looking at to twist an ankle, to turn a knee, maybe, while they're training out there.They're slickening that surface up in very, very hot conditions.And that's why we got drowned arms.

Rob, you mentioned those squad numbers.Another significant one, I guess, is Jude Bellingham.He will be number 10 for this World Cup.There was talk, would it be Eze, would it be Morgan Rodgers, would it be Jude Bellingham?It is Bellingham who's got that shirt number.Should we read anything into that?

How doeshe doesn't feel like he's ahead of Morgan Rodgers in Thomas Tuchel's mind.It's Morgan Rodgers, the man there in your shot, who's just running towards us on the left -hand side, look, right ahead of us there.It's Morgan Rodgers who's featured very heavily for England in the warm -up games, and it's been such a big debate.Rodgers or Bellingham in that number 10 role.And let's not forget, there's some chap called Phil Foden.

There's another guy called Cole Palmer.There's another player called Morgan Gibbs -White, who are all exceptionally talented number 10s who aren't even here.So the battle for that coveted number 10s shirt is huge.And yes, it feels that Jude Bellingham is the senior player.He's been to more tournaments, of course.He's been key for England for so long now.

But Morgan Rogers is the man, it feels like, who's in possession of that number 10 shirt.If you look at the qualifying, Thomas Tuchel has been a huge fan of Morgan Rodgers.He's had an extraordinary season for Aston Villa.He is now a Europa League winner as well, of course, Morgan Rodgers.So that battle between Bellingham and Morgan Rodgers for a starting place in Tuchel's 11, I think is going to be something we're talking about for the next couple of weeks and beyond.

Rob, I know we shouldn't go too far into the squad numbers as you mentioned there, but the fans and the media are going to read lots and lots into these squad numbers.Just on the team selection itself, is there a scenario where Thomas Tuchel could actually play both Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rodgers in the same team?

Yes, absolutely.That's an absolute possibility because Morgan Rodgers has come off the left wing for Aston Villa on a number of occasions this season.Jude Bellingham has been used as a number eight for England.He's also been used as a number nine for England as well.So they've certainly both got that versatility.But if you look at England's other attacking options, I think it's unlikely we're going to see Morgan Rodgers and Jude Bellingham on the pitch.

I thinkTuchel has made it clear when he announced his squad 10 days or so ago that it's horses for courses.He wants players to play in a specific position.Yes, the flexibility that some of these players offer with their versatility in other positions is key, but he wants the players to play in their strongest positions.And you look at the other candidates we've got out there.We've been talking about Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford on the left wing.

We've got Bakayo Saka on the right wing.contingent join up after another few days rest after the Champions League final.You've got Noni Madueke, you've got Eberichi Eze out there.And so I think that's going to be really significant.I think Tukul will try and play their players in the strongest positions that they possibly can.But let's see how things progress.

I mean, I don't want to jinx it.And in fact, everybody I've mentioned this to at the FA and the coaching staff around here this morning in West Palm Beach has rolled their eyes when I've mentioned this to them.Those players you're looking at out there today, we don't think any of them have any injury problems.And that has not happened in living memory, I don't think, with an England squad coming to a major tournament.the metatarsals that dominated Wayne Rooney and David Beckham's preparations for the 2002 and the 2006 World Cups.Think about the Euros last summer where all of the talk was about Luke Shaw's fitness and whether he would be able to play any part in the tournament at left back.

He did, but only in the final in Berlin.That's the first game he started for England at the Euros last summer.Whisper it quietly.very quietly but all the players looking out there at the moment have a clean bill of health and that will be incredibly good news for Thomas Tuchel.

You really have jinxed it haven't you Rob now.Look 21 as you mentioned of the 26 -man squad are there plus a few extras.

Yeah absolutely right and it's almost a shame to callthem extras because they are here by right.And if we just pan across to the left, you can see Alex Scott there standing next to Morgan Rodgers, the Bournemouth man, who's had an extraordinary season.And I know he was a little bit disappointed himself that he didn't make the 26 -man squad.So credit to him that he decided to come out here.Thomas Tuchel, with those Arsenal players absent right now until the weekend, wanted to make sure that there was a full complement of players out there training.

And you can see Josh King just behind him as well by the way.Interesting we get to speak to him later now that Marco Silva has just left as his manager at Fulham.I wonder what he's going to be going through his mind.He won't probably even know that news that we've broken on Sky Sports News in the last 10 minutes.But a real honour for these players to be out here.They've cut their holidays short and that will be made an impression on Thomas Tuchel.

Remember we've got some big Nations League games coming up in the autumn.You'd think of the likes of Rio and Gamoa, you think of Josh King, you think of Alex Scott out there, you think of Ethan Naunieri who's here as well, and they will have gone up in Thomas Tuchel's estimation, the fact that they've cut short their holidays to be out here training with this England squad.But as I say, don't expect them to be here after the two friendlies.Remember England play New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday, Saturday.feeling that turn.under their feet for the first time.

We've talked an awful lot about the grass out here and the players are looking at it.We saw Thomas Tuchel bouncing a ball.We've seen some of the other nations that have been out here already criticising the turf because maybe the bounce is a bit deader than they were expecting that's all what these England players are experiencing right now while they're holding these these towels between them and working in little groups it's a it's a strange little warm -up session but they will be trying to get every aspects of advantage they can and learning about this turf, learning about the balls that they've got out there that are going to be the balls they use in this tournament.All of these are firsts and they're significant firsts for this England squad and let's not forget they're here for one reason.This isn't a holiday for them.This is not just getting a load of caps under their belt.

Thomas Tuchel has made it very clear to these players he wants them to win the World Cup.England have made the successive European Championship finals.They are serious contenders.If they can cope with the heat, they could go a long way in this tournament.