England have travelled significantly more than any other quarter-finalist at the 2026 World Cup, with an average round trip of 1,842 miles across their first five games. This figure is roughly equivalent to flying from London to Lisbon and back, a journey that has been repeated for every match due to the team's base in Kansas City.
Kansas City base leads to extensive travel
The Football Association chose to base England in Kansas City despite the team not playing any matches there. The rationale was that a central location would minimise flight lengths for fixtures, but it has resulted in round trips of at least 670 miles for every game. Trips to Foxborough, East Rutherford and Mexico City each exceeded 1,100 miles one way.
England's average round trip is longer than France's total travel distance so far, and they have logged more than 3,000 miles more than their next opponents, Norway. The shortest return journey Thomas Tuchel's men have completed was longer than any journey undertaken by the French team.
Other teams' logistical approaches
Norway, like many other teams, adopted a different strategy: they based themselves in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the group stage, then moved from city to city for knockout matches. Some teams have been rewarded for backing themselves to go deep. Belgium's camp in Renton, Washington, is only about 10 miles from Seattle Stadium, where they played their first two knockout matches. Argentina are based in Kansas City, with their opening game and quarter-final being played there.
England could have plotted their routes differently. Had they expected to top their group, basing themselves near Atlanta would have reduced travel for their last-32 match and group stage fixtures. However, choosing a base camp involves many factors beyond distance.
Potential impact on performance
While quantifying the disadvantage of extra travel is difficult, England have had three round trips longer than France's total travel. This could become a factor if both teams meet in the final. England have also played all five matches in different locations, with Miami Gardens set to be the sixth venue for their quarter-final against Norway on Saturday.
