The Football Association has expressed concerns that England's World Cup training base in Kansas City lacks sufficient privacy, prompting plans to erect protective fencing to prevent rival teams from spying on sessions. The move comes in the wake of the spygate scandal, which saw Southampton expelled from the Championship playoff final for illegally surveilling opponents' training.
England will use Swope Soccer Village, home to Sporting Kansas City's academy teams, after their first-choice venue—Sporting Kansas City's performance centre—was secured by Argentina. The facility is a 20-minute drive from the team's hotel and will be upgraded with an outdoor gym and players' lounge, but its open layout has raised security concerns.
Manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the issue, saying, 'It can be overlooked. We will have security there and build a bit of protection.' He stressed the importance of privacy for final preparations, including set pieces and penalties, to maintain a competitive advantage. 'We will take care of that as good as possible and not in a crazy way,' he added.
England will fly in and out of Kansas City for all matches, beginning with their opener against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June. The squad will also include Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri, Bournemouth's Alex Scott, Fulham midfielder Josh King, and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha in a pre-tournament training camp in Florida, with Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele staying as a training goalkeeper throughout the tournament.
