England have found out where they will likely be based for the 2026 World Cup. With the tournament less than six months away, preparations for the showpiece event in North America are beginning to ramp up. Now, the Three Lions have requested to make a base, that cost around £15 million ($21m) to build in Kansas City, their own this summer.
England’s ‘difficult’ World Cup group
After qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with ease, England will face Ghana, Panama, and Croatia in Group L later this year. First up, the Three Lions will take on old foe Croatia, who beat them in the semi-finals of the 2018 tournament. And Tuchel is not underestimating their upcoming opponents.
The German said: “We have Croatia and Ghana — two regulars in World Cups — and we have Panama. I don’t know much about Panama but we will know everything about them when the tournament starts. For me personally, even in Champions League, you have to focus on the group — the group is always the most difficult and we want to escape and we want to win the group. It’s a tough one. No one should be underestimated. Of course, Croatia is the standout name [and] the highest-ranked team from Pot 2 that we got into our group. It’s a difficult opener against Croatia. We take it from here. Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise and has a big history in World Cup football. Also, Panama will try to make the most in the underdog role. No one can be underestimated – everyone deserves the fullest respect and we will show that.”
New experience for Tuchel
Tuchel has developed a reputation of being one of the world’s best managers after his success at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea — the last of which he won the Champions League with in 2021. The German has plenty of experience but he is, somewhat, stepping into the unknown with England at the World Cup.
“For me, I’ve only experienced group football in Champions League formats,” said Tuchel in December. “The way to approach it was always to give the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. It always seems difficult, like our group now but we’re confident. We know now our opponents, we know that we will start late in the tournament which gives us a bit of time. I know that if you start late in the tournament, the schedule becomes more condensed. The focus will be totally on the group. It’s always a challenge with four ambitious teams together to come out on top. This is where all the energy will go. I think full steam ahead. I’m now fully focused on the opponents. I’m looking forward to get the tournament started. I would love to start next week because now the excitement is high.”
England eye Kansas base
According to BBC Sport, England are set to be based at the Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City for the World Cup. FIFA is unlikely to confirm the location of each nation’s training facilities until the start of February but the Football Association is said to have submitted a request to stay in the Missouri city, with the state-of-the-art Swope camp picked as their first choice. England’s matches against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama will reportedly take place in Arlington (Texas), Foxborough (near Boston), and East Rutherford (New Jersey), respectively, and after those games, they will return to Kansas. It is not yet certain if the base, which reportedly cost £15m to make, will be England’s headquarters if they make it into the knockout stages of the competition.
What comes next for England?
Before they can think about playing in the World Cup, England take on Uruguay in a friendly match at Wembley in late March. A few days later, they will also host Japan. All three teams will be trying to lift that famous trophy this summer.
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