England's players have been staying at the Al Wakrah Sports Complex in order to escape the heat.
After intensive training sessions at the 12,000-seat Saoud Abdulrahman Stadium, the large fan blowing out cold air is a relief.
Now is the time for the serious business to begin and there will be no escape from the unforgiving environment of World Cup combat when they open their campaign against Iran on Monday.
Iran will not be underestimated under the guidance of former Manchester United assistant manager and Real Madrid coach CarlosQueiroz. The 20th ranked team can boast of a recent victory over the 11th ranked team in the world.
When he held his final media briefing in the large media center in the middle of the night on Sunday, he wouldn't be fooled by the amount of praise heaped on him. "The most competitive England team since 1966" was not enough for Queiroz to run out of praise.
The World Cup in Qatar is shrouded in controversy about how the global showpiece ended up here, how it came to be staged in winter and the host's treatment of migrant workers and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer communities.
After a semi-final loss to Croatia in the World Cup in Russia and a Euro 2020 final defeat on penalties to Italy, England's head coach became the second man in history to lead his country into three major tournaments.
There is no doubt that the goodwill he could call on in those days was not as great as it is today. If England fail to win the World Cup, he will be without a team.
Since that night against Italy at Wembley, England has played 15 games and won seven, lost three and drawn five. They haven't won since beating the Elephants at Wembley in March and have lost their last three games which resulted in them being demoted to the Uefa Nations League.
The change in mood towards England's manager was audible when he received heavy criticism from fans during and after the home loss to Hungary in June and the away defeat to Italy in September.
The constant backing track to the feats in Russia and during Euro 2020 was a far cry from the "Southgate, you're the one".
The England squad has looked stagnant in recent times with a stodgy style of football which has prompted background noise about the manager's perceived negative approach brought into sharper relief by poor results.
He knows that his style has come under scrutiny, particularly given the gifted attackers at his disposal, and that he can only answer that by scoring
The inclusion of James Maddison in the World Cup squad was a positive move and was an answer to some of the gripes.
He made a progressive surprise in including the player. The England World Cup squad was positive in their intentions.
England's preparations for the World Cup have been clouded by the sight of Maddison excluded from their main training group.
One of the best young talents in England is 19-year-old Jude Bellingham. Those who accuse him of using the cloak of conservatism will watch to see how he deploys such forward- thinking players as Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount over the course of this campaign.
Another £100m-rated player is DeclanRice. There is a lot of money in the front window, but there is a lot of stuff at the back. The worry is England's defense.
The future of the England manager, not that he should be under threat of dismissal or that the FA would even consider it, has been the main focus of the World Cup. He has a contract that will last until December 24, 2024.
He introduced the subject last summer when he said he wouldn't outstay his welcome.
His record shouldn't be compared to that of his predecessors, even though this is his third tournament and it was the tally achieved by predecessors.
What should England do if it wins the World Cup? If England reach the last eight but fall short of what they did in the previous year, this most sensible and realistic man may just feel his course is over. He'd be open to offers in club management.
There is a lot riding on this for England, and there will be a lot of attention on his loyalty to Harry.
A lot has happened to the 29-year-old since July 2021 and it has mostly involved his decline to the point where he has been largely surplus to replacements at Old United this season.
Even though he was jeered by England fans at Wembley, he is convinced the error-riddled display which contributed to two of Germany's goals will be forgotten within the major tournament environment in which he has excelled.
The manager who has made turning up for England duty a pleasure once more in the last six years will be supported by the players.
Kane said that gareth has been great for the group of players. The records in the World Cup and Euros speak for themselves and we feel we should be judged on major tournaments.
Over the last four years, it's been a good period for us, and this is another chance to move forward.
After cutting a tired figure in England's Nations League campaign, he looked rejuvenated here. He promised to be more ruthless. The acid test will come next.
The same cannot be said for the World Cup. They are going to enter the real heat shack on Monday.
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