Leaving Belgium’s Club Brugge for a move to Saudi Arabia three years ago, Jack Hendry leapt from the frying pan into the fire.
Steven Gerrard lured the Scotland defender to El Ettifaq, a club based in the capital city of Damman where the average temperature ranges between 30 and 40 degrees centigrade.
“When I moved to Saudi, within two days we played a game in Abu Dhabi, and it was extremely humid,” recalls the former Celtic player. “That was crazy for me as a Scottish lad.
“I sent a picture to my family, and it was 42-degree heat and 85 per cent humidity. I don’t know what Gerrard was thinking because he played me for the full 90 minutes.
“Thankfully I managed to get through it and looking back on it that was great for me getting that experience of playing in those environments.”
The experience could prove invaluable at World Cup 2026, where a quarter of the games played are expected to take place in dangerously high conditions.
The seasonal temperature outlook for the US, compiled by the National Weather Service, reports that every part of the United States will experience heat above the average for June and July. It’s into this environment that 48 national teams, including Scotland, will arrive.
Every match staged in Miami – including Brazil vs Scotland on June 23 – is expected to exceed key temperature thresholds. Research shows that many games will be unsafe for players and fans, with FIFA taking the concerns of world players’ union Fifpro into account by introducing mandatory hydration breaks mid-way through each half.
Preparations for the opening game against an athletic Haiti include warm weather training at the Florida Blue Training Centre owned by Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. Scotland have worked in 20 minutes spurts with water breaks have been factored into sessions.
“Listen, for the boys, you just need to adapt because you don’t have any other option,” adds Hendry. “The sports science and performance guys will be making sure we stay hydrated but the game does naturally change when you play in these climates.
"It’s a slow tempo with less pressing. You just can’t do it over 90 minutes.”
On the evidence of Haiti’s flamboyant, off-the-cuff thumping of New Zealand on Tuesday night the tempo may be higher than the Scotland management seem to think. Coaches Steven Naismith, Alan Irvine and Scot Gemmill were there to see their opponents in the opening game roared on by 10,000 loud and excitable supporters.
While Boston will be cooler than Miami, the Scots can expect to feel the heat one way or the other and Hendry – at least – knows what to expect.
“For me, I’m playing in 40 degrees. Where I’m based, it’s right beside the sea as well so it’s very humid. When we go back for pre-season it’s much higher than here, maybe around 80-90 per cent humidity.
“Towards the end of the season there is was 35, 36 degree heat. But I’ve very much adapted to that now. From the boys’ point of view, it’s tough, of course it is. You start sweating as soon as you step outside and you feel how muggy it is. But I’m sure we’ll adapt.
“That’s why we’re here in Florida this week, to prepare for that last game, and get used to it. But it’s tough at first.”
When the World Cup last took place in the United States, Ireland boss Jack Charlton was famously disciplined by FIFA for throwing water onto the pitch for his players. Three decades later, players will be encouraged to take on fluids during three minute hydration breaks.
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Despite the suspicion of many that FIFA are more concerned with facilitating television ad breaks than player water breaks, Hendry believes it’s the right thing to do. “I can speak about it first hand because we’ve got them in Saudi Arabia," he said.
“To be honest, over there, it’ll be 30 degree heat and they won’t have any water breaks at all. We only have water breaks in extreme temperatures! From a fans’ point of view, when it’s 22 degrees in Glasgow and you get a water break because the sun is shining, I can understand that can be a little bit frustrating.
“But given the conditions we’re going to experience here at this World Cup, they’re going to be important to get rehydrated because you’re losing an immense amount of weight in sweat. You’ll be talking about between one and three kilos per game in these conditions.
“If you don’t have those water breaks then that’s what’s going to happen and it isn’t great. From a tactical point of view, they’ll also key because we’re playing against opposition that’s the best in the world
"So, while it may not be great for the supporters, it may help the players on the pitch; it’s important from a safety point of view and key tactically too.”
Hendry’s contract at Al-Ettifaq lapsed in the summer, and the former Celtic, Dundee and Oostende defender is fielding offers from potential employers now. He expects to agree terms with a new club shortly and won’t rule out signing for another club in the Middle East. “I’ve got a lot of offers," he said.
"Having played in different countries now, it’s opened up a lot of markets for myself. Naturally, that’s helped me. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. When some players go out of contract it can go quite quiet, but it’s been quite busy for myself, and I’ll probably make my decision before the start of the tournament.
“I’ve been quite lucky with the offers that have come to me so far so that’s what I’ll probably do. I’ve taken myself out of my comfort zone. During my career, there’s been difficult times, for sure. I just think you’ve got to remain mentally resilient.
“In our squad we have other boys who have gone to Italy and other places and they’re doing well. So from a Scotland point of view it can only help. There are teams looking at Scottish players where maybe before they were turning their nose up at them.
"We have shown we can go abroad, that we can compete, and we can do well.”
The desire to keep playing abroad at the highest level possible makes a return to Scotland a non-starter. “No, not just now,” he says. “I’m not slamming the Scottish leagues, as such, and it might happen towards the end of my career. But at this moment in time, no.
“I just think I can play at a higher level. Obviously, you have the top teams in the league who play in Europe, and that would be an aspiration of mine if I came back to Europe. That would need to be key, I would need to be playing in Europe. I just think the Scottish market is probably a league I won’t go back to at this moment in time.
"There’s still Saudi Arabia. I don’t think the book’s closed there as such. It’s been amazing for me. The country has been great for me and my family. I’ve just had my second child and she was born over there. That shows how much I’ve opened up.
“I just can’t speak highly enough of the country and the people and how much they make you feel welcome. The club and the league have been extremely supportive lately and have really looked after us so I can’t speak highly enough of Saudi Arabia.
“If anyone gets to go to the 2034 World Cup I’m sure they’ll have the same opinion as me.”
