England Search for FIFA 2026 Training Facilities Amid Worries of Losing Preferred Base to the Dutch.
England's football governing body has dispatched scouts to the United States this week to evaluate potential training camps for the upcoming tournament, amid growing worries that their preferred base could be taken by the Holland.
Draw Complexities Alter Preparations
Manager Thomas Tuchel had earlier cleared an FA strategy for England to be based in Kansas after a pre-tournament training camp in Fort Lauderdale. But, following last week's tournament draw, there are now fears that the Netherlands, who have their group games in Kansas, will be awarded first refusal on the chosen facility at Sporting Kansas City—a high-performance centre operated by US Soccer.
FIFA allocates training camps based on geographic location 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 central region.
Exploring Other Sites
With England's group fixtures scheduled to take place in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, the FA is now understood to be exploring alternative locations on the eastern seaboard. The association began its scouting process for training camps at the beginning of the year, with Tuchel and technical director John McDermott visiting potential sites during the Club World Cup last summer.
Despite this advanced preparation, there was always an understanding that the final tournament draw could drastically change their logistical arrangements.
Knockout Stage Logistics Plans
England have the eighth most arduous group stage schedule in terms of travel. Winning Group L would set England on track for a last-32 game in Atlanta, then a possible last-16 match in Mexico City.
- Significant Departure: The FA may decide to move between venues for the later rounds if England qualify, a major departure from its usual protocol of maintaining a single tournament base.
- Tournament Organizers Encouragement: FIFA is understood to be recommending such a flexible strategy for the expansive 2026 tournament.
After the training base is finalized, the FA will focus on organizing two friendly matches in Florida at the beginning of June.
