Picture this — England is preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Football Association (FA) is being forced to reconsider how, and where, it usually accommodates teams in the tournament. With the group stage matches scheduled across diverse locations in the United States, England may adopt a novel strategy of ‘venue hopping’ rather than maintaining a single base.
England’s matches are set to unfold as follows: they will face Croatia on June 17 in Dallas at 9 PM UK time, Ghana on June 23 in Boston at 9 PM UK time, and Panama on June 27 in New York-New Jersey at 10 PM UK time. Up next for the team are two long east coast fixtures and one in Texas. These set of matchups present logistical hurdles that differ from past tournaments.
Traditionally, England has stuck to one at-home philosophy, maintaining a centralized ‘home’ for players to return to in-between games. What’s special about this tournament. England has to beat Argentina in the World Cup not just in technical football ability but in arguments like where the hell it is. The FA is looking into establishing a new base on the east coast of America. This decision will assist them crossing the major distances between venues and allow smoother travel between matches.
Assuming England takes care of business and finishes first in Group L, they will qualify for the knockout stage. There, they’ll run into powerhouses like Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, or Portugal. Should they make it out of the group stage, they’ll move on to a round-of-32 match in Atlanta. That’s only a two hour flight from where they’re likely to be headquartered! If successful in that encounter, a round-of-16 match would be played in Mexico City, requiring a seven-hour flight. In addition, a potential quarter-final match-up would be played in Miami, a three-hour flight at best.
Should the team place second in their group (Group L), they will play a round-of-32 match in Toronto, only a three-hour flight away. If they make it past the group stage to the last-16 round, they will face a trip of more than four hours to their game in Los Angeles. The team will have a tough go, especially with the long-distance travel needs of their new home. A hot summer may prove an even greater enemy to their World Cup hopes.
The next World Cup is already set to be one of the toughest tournaments for England yet. The combination of the heat, added match frequency and lengthy travel days can put players’ fitness and squad readiness to the ultimate test. A ‘venue hopping’ strategy would enable greater acclimatization and recovery time between matches.
For reference, England liked to operate out of the Souq Al-Wakra hotel whenever possible during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. First, planners’ previous experience has a large influence on their current planning. Both have similar goals – to use their rosters to maximize performance over the course of a 4 week tournament.
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