England Explore for World Cup Training Facilities Amidst Fears of Losing First-Choice Site to Netherlands.
The FA has dispatched officials to the America this week to inspect potential facilities for the forthcoming World Cup, amid increasing apprehensions that their preferred location could be taken by the Netherlands.
Draw Complexities Disrupt Preparations
Manager Thomas Tuchel had earlier cleared an FA proposal for England to set up camp in Kansas following a pre-tournament training camp in Fort Lauderdale. But, following the recent group stage draw, there are now concerns that the Netherlands, who play their group games in Kansas, will be given first refusal on the desired facility at Sporting Kansas City—a high-performance centre operated by US Soccer.
The world governing body assigns training camps according to geography and world rankings if there is a dispute, with the draw possibly placing the FA in competition with the Netherlands and Argentina for sites in the tournament's central region.
Considering Other Options
With England's group stage matches scheduled to take place in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, the FA is now reportedly looking at other locations on the east coast. The association began its search for training bases at the start of the year, with Tuchel and technical director John McDermott touring potential sites during the Club World Cup last summer.
Despite this advanced planning, there was always an acceptance that the official tournament draw could drastically change their plans.
Knockout Stage Logistics Plans
The Three Lions face the eighth most demanding group stage draw in terms of travel. Winning Group L would set England on track for a last-32 game in Atlanta, then a potential round of 16 tie in Mexico City.
- Significant Departure: The FA may opt to choose to move between venues for the later rounds if England qualify, a significant departure from its usual practice of maintaining a single tournament base.
- FIFA Recommendation: FIFA is believed to be recommending such a flexible strategy for the expansive 2026 tournament.
Once the training base is confirmed, the FA will focus on scheduling two friendly matches in Florida at the start of June.
