England are not alone in covering vast distances.
Spain have logged more than 12,000 miles, while Switzerland exceeded 10,000 thanks to what the Swiss Football Association described as “venue hopping” across North America.
Morocco repeatedly returned to their New Jersey base despite fixtures taking them to Boston, Atlanta, Monterrey and Houston before eventually bowing out to France in the quarter-finals.
Belgium’s decision to base themselves in Renton, Washington, kept travel to about 4,000 miles before their exit against Spain.
France’s tally is one of the lowest of any nation at the tournament – with a total below even several teams eliminated after only three group matches.
Long-distance travel is nothing new at the World Cup. Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018 and even South Africa in 2010 all required teams to cover significant distances.
The first 48-team World Cup, however, has presented a different challenge. With matches staged across three host nations and 16 cities, some teams have spent weeks shuttling back and forth across North America, while others have remained largely within the same region.
England’s route illustrates that contrast better than most. Their journey has already exceeded the total distance of countries at other tournaments.
