England Explore for FIFA 2026 Bases Following Concerns of Losing First-Choice Base to the Dutch.
England's football governing body has sent officials to the US this week to look at potential bases for the upcoming World Cup, amid growing apprehensions that their preferred site could be allocated by the Dutch national team.
Tournament Draw Complications Alter Arrangements
Manager Thomas Tuchel had previously approved an FA plan for England to be based in Kansas after a pre-tournament training period in Fort Lauderdale. However, after the recent group stage draw, there are now concerns that the Netherlands, who have their group games in Kansas, will be given priority on the desired facility at Sporting Kansas City—a high-performance centre used by US Soccer.
FIFA assigns training camps based on geography and FIFA rankings if there is a dispute, with the draw potentially pitting the FA against the Netherlands and Argentina for bases in the tournament's south-central region.
Considering Other Locations
With England's group fixtures scheduled to take place in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, the FA is now understood to be looking at other options on the east coast. The association started its search for training bases at the start of the year, with Tuchel and technical director John McDermott visiting potential locations during the Club World Cup last summer.
Despite this advanced planning, there was always an acceptance that the final tournament draw could drastically change their plans.
Later Round Logistics Strategy
The Three Lions face the eighth most arduous group stage draw in terms of travel. Topping Group L would set England on track for a last-32 game in Atlanta, then a potential last-16 match in Mexico City.
- Major Change: The FA may decide to move between venues for the later rounds should England progress, a significant departure from its standard practice of having a single tournament base.
- Tournament Organizers Encouragement: FIFA is understood to be recommending such a flexible approach for the expansive 2026 tournament.
Once the training base is confirmed, the FA will turn its attention to scheduling two warm-up matches in Florida at the start of June.
