England Search for World Cup Bases Following Concerns of Losing Preferred Site to the Dutch.
The FA has dispatched scouts to the America this week to evaluate potential facilities for the upcoming World Cup, amid increasing worries that their first-choice location could be allocated by the Holland.
Tournament Draw Complications Change Plans
Head coach Thomas Tuchel had previously approved an FA strategy for England to set up camp in Kansas after a warm-up training camp in Fort Lauderdale. Yet, after last week's group stage draw, there are now fears that the Netherlands, who have their group stage matches in Kansas, will be given first choice on the chosen facility at Sporting Kansas City—a high-performance centre used by US Soccer.
FIFA allocates training bases based on geography and world rankings if there is competition, with the draw potentially placing the FA in competition with the Netherlands and Argentina for sites in the tournament's south-central region.
Considering Alternative Sites
With England's group fixtures set to take place in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, the FA is now reportedly looking at alternative locations on the US East Coast. The association began its search for training bases at the beginning of the year, with Tuchel and director of football John McDermott touring potential locations during the Club World Cup last summer.
In spite of this early preparation, there was always an understanding that the final tournament draw could significantly alter their logistical arrangements.
Later Round Travel Plans
England have the eighth most arduous group stage schedule in terms of travel distance. Winning Group L would put England on track for a round of 32 game in Atlanta, then a potential last-16 tie in Mexico City.
- Major Change: The FA may decide to move between venues for the knockout stages if England progress, a significant departure from its standard protocol of having a single tournament base.
- FIFA Encouragement: FIFA is understood to be recommending such a itinerant strategy for the vast 2026 tournament.
Once the base camp is finalized, the FA will focus on scheduling two pre-tournament matches in Florida at the start of June.
