England Scout for FIFA 2026 Training Facilities Amidst Worries of Missing Out On Preferred Location to Holland.
The FA has dispatched scouts to the America this week to look at potential bases for the upcoming global finals, amidst growing concerns that their top-pick base could be taken by the Netherlands.
Tournament Draw Complications Alter Preparations
Manager Thomas Tuchel had previously cleared an FA proposal for England to locate in Kansas after a warm-up training camp in Fort Lauderdale. However, following the recent tournament draw, there are now concerns that the Netherlands, who play 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.
The world governing body assigns training bases 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 sites in the tournament's south-central region.
Exploring Other Options
Given England's group fixtures set to take place in Dallas, Boston, and New Jersey, the FA is now reportedly exploring other locations on the US East Coast. The FA began its search for training bases at the start of the year, with Tuchel and director of football John McDermott visiting potential sites during the Club World Cup last summer.
In spite of this advanced planning, there was always an acceptance that the final tournament draw could drastically change their plans.
Later Round Logistics Strategy
England face the eighth most demanding group stage draw in terms of travel distance. Topping Group L would put England on track for a last-32 game in Atlanta, followed by potential last-16 tie in Mexico City.
- Significant Departure: The FA may decide to travel from match to match for the later rounds if England progress, a major shift from its usual protocol of having a fixed tournament base.
- FIFA Encouragement: FIFA is understood to be recommending such a itinerant strategy for the vast 2026 tournament.
Once the base camp is finalized, the FA will turn its attention to scheduling two pre-tournament matches in Florida at the beginning of June.
