The Three Lions Search for FIFA 2026 Camps Amidst Worries of Missing Out On Preferred Base to Netherlands.
The Football Association has dispatched operational staff to the America this week to evaluate potential training camps for the upcoming global finals, amidst increasing concerns that their first-choice location could be allocated by the Netherlands.
Tournament Draw Complications Alter Plans
Head coach Thomas Tuchel had previously cleared an FA strategy for England to be based in Kansas following a warm-up training period in Fort Lauderdale. But, following last week's tournament draw, there are now concerns that the Netherlands, who have their group stage matches in Kansas, will be awarded first refusal on the chosen facility at Sporting Kansas City—a high-performance centre used by US Soccer.
The world governing body assigns training camps based on geographic location and world 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.
Considering Other Locations
With England's group stage matches scheduled to take place in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, the FA is now understood to be looking at alternative locations on the US East Coast. The FA began its scouting process for training bases at the start of the year, with Tuchel and director of football John McDermott visiting possible sites during the Club World Cup last summer.
Despite this early planning, there was always an understanding that the official tournament draw could drastically change their plans.
Later Round Logistics Plans
England face the eighth most demanding group stage draw in terms of travel distance. Winning Group L would put England on track for a round of 32 game in Atlanta, followed by potential round of 16 match in Mexico City.
- Significant Departure: The FA may opt to choose to travel from match to match for the later rounds if England qualify, a significant shift from its standard practice of maintaining a single tournament base.
- Tournament Organizers Encouragement: FIFA is understood to be recommending such a flexible approach for the vast 2026 tournament.
Once the base camp is finalized, the FA will focus on organizing two friendly matches in Florida at the start of June.
