​A World Cup staged across three nations was always going to test teams in ways no previous edition had. With 16 host cities spread across North America, nations have travelled farther than ever in pursuit of football’s most coveted prize. Yet while every side has had to contend with vast distances, some have logged far more miles than others.
England have racked up more than 14,000 miles to reach the last four—seven times the distance covered by favourites France and well beyond what their semi-final rivals Argentina have travelled. Thomas Tuchel’s team have bounced between their base in Kansas City, Missouri, and venues in Atlanta, Boston, Mexico City, and Miami. Argentina have also based themselves in Kansas City, clocking a little more than 8,000 miles, while France have mostly stayed on the east coast, covering fewer than 2,000 miles before their semi-final in Dallas against Spain. That roughly 3,000-mile round trip for France will more than double their total mileage for the entire tournament.
England are not the only side covering extraordinary distances. Spain have logged more than 12,000 miles, and Switzerland have surpassed 10,000 thanks to what the Swiss Football Association called “venue hopping” across North America. Morocco, meanwhile, kept returning to their New Jersey base even as fixtures took them to Boston, Atlanta, Monterrey, and Houston before they were eliminated by France in the quarter-finals. Belgium’s decision to base themselves in Renton, Washington, kept their travel to about 4,000 miles before their exit against Spain. France’s mileage has been among the lowest of any nation at the tournament, with a total that sits below several teams eliminated after only three group matches.
Long-distance travel is not unique to this World Cup. Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, and South Africa in 2010 all demanded substantial journeys. But the first 48-team World Cup, staged across three host nations and 16 cities, presented a fresh challenge: some teams spent weeks shuttling across North America, while others operated largely within their own region. England’s schedule exemplifies that contrast. Their travel distance has already exceeded the total miles logged by countries in other tournaments, yet for England, the motion of travel has become part of the tournament experience.
The squad have settled into life in Prairie Village, training at Swope Soccer Village while immersing themselves in Kansas City’s sporting culture. Tuchel, Harry Kane, Dan Burn, and Djed Spence visited the Kansas City Royals, with Tuchel throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Kauffman Stadium and later receiving customised Royals jerseys. After the dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico, the players enjoyed around 36 hours off to explore the city. While it’s difficult to measure precisely how much the miles have mattered or provided an advantage, the sheer scale of the journey has been a defining backdrop to England’s run toward the semi-finals.