Thomas Tuchel's England side could be in for four games in 13 days, clocking up an extraordinary number of air miles as the World Cup knockout stages approach. By the time England finish their group fixtures on Saturday against Panama in New Jersey, the squad will have flown more than 5,600 miles out of their base in Kansas City to Dallas, Boston and New Jersey — and that is before the longer journeys that lie ahead.
England chose to base themselves in Kansas City, a central location that meant they would not venue-hop like some other nations. But it has come at a cost. Only Curacao (6,458 miles), Austria (6,010), Japan (5,998) and Bosnia & Herzegovina (5,880) have travelled further in the group stage. Tuchel admitted it was a tricky balance between distance and the comforts of a single base, with the manager saying after consulting players that they wanted the home comforts of one set camp at Swope Soccer City and The Inn at Meadowbrook in Overland Park.
“England face four games in 13 days and over 5,600 air miles as Tuchel gamble on Kansas City base unfolds.”
If England finish top of Group L — which they can secure against Panama — the next leg is Atlanta on 1 July, 800 miles away. Then Mexico City on 6 July, 1,664 miles, followed by a potential quarter-final in Miami on 11 July, another 1,500 miles. The round trips would double those numbers.
Meanwhile, Scotland's hopes of reaching the knockout stage are hanging by a thread after a 3-0 defeat by Brazil left them relying on being one of the best third-placed teams. As it stands, England and Scotland are on the same path to meet in the last 16 in Mexico City on 6 July — but both would have to win their last-32 ties first.
Co-hosts Mexico became the first nation to qualify, winning Group A with a 100% record. South Africa also advanced for the first time after a 1-0 win over South Korea, setting up a last-32 tie with Canada in Los Angeles. Switzerland won their group with seven points after beating Canada 2-1.
With 32 of 48 teams advancing to the knockouts and new tie-breaker rules — including head-to-head results, goal difference, Fifa's Team Conduct Score and even the June world ranking — the permutations are dizzying. For England, the arithmetic is simple: win against Panama and then hope the miles do not take their toll.