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There’s still plenty of football to be played before England supporters can even begin to dream about the FIFA World Cup final. The Three Lions have reached the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, but a series of formidable challenges stand between them and the ultimate prize.

In addition to a demanding knockout schedule and a string of high-calibre opponents, England are also facing a sudden change in kick-off timings and a drastically reduced preparation period ahead of their clash with Mexico — a fixture already carrying its share of complications.

As Thomas Tuchel’s side prepare to cross the USA-Mexico border for the first time in this tournament, one question arises: how far will the England team travel in their pursuit of glory this summer?

Without finding space in what’s likely to be Dan Burn’s rather large suitcase, complete with his signature cowboy attire, charting England’s criss-crossing path across the United States and Mexico is not an exact science.

To simplify the calculation, we can ignore the precise flight paths and road routes, instead focusing on straight-line distances to provide an approximate total.

From the moment England departed Birmingham Airport to their possible return home a few days after the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, the accumulated travel distance paints quite the picture.

To recap, England’s preparation began in Florida, where they played two warm-up fixtures — one against New Zealand in Tampa Bay and another against Costa Rica in Orlando.

The squad was based in West Palm Beach during that period, though this detail and the fact that not every player travelled from Birmingham have been excluded from the distance tally.

Following their Florida stint, England set up their World Cup base in Kansas City. From there, they travelled to Arlington for their opening group match against Croatia at Dallas Stadium, then to Foxborough near Boston for their second group clash with Ghana.

Their final group game came against Panama at New York New Jersey Stadium — the same venue scheduled to host the tournament final.

Start

End

Miles

Running Total

Birmingham Airport

Tampa Bay

4355

4355

Tampa Bay

Orlando

78

4433

Orlando

Kansas City

1050

5483

Kansas City

Arlington

462

5945

Arlington

Kansas City

462

6407

Kansas City

Foxborough

1239

7646

Foxborough

Kansas City

1239

8885

Kansas City

East Rutherford

1090

9975

East Rutherford

Kansas City

1090

11065

Kansas City

Atlanta

676

11741

Atlanta

Kansas City

676

12417

Kansas City

Mexico City

1387

13804

Mexico City

Kansas City

1387

15191

Kansas City

Miami

1244

16435

Miami

Kansas City

1244

17679

Kansas City

Atlanta

676

18355

Atlanta

Kansas City

676

19031

Kansas City

East Rutherford

1090

20121

East Rutherford

Kansas City

1090

21211

Kansas City

Birmingham Airport

4256

25467

After that, it was back to Kansas City, then to Atlanta for the Round of 32 tie against DR Congo, followed by Mexico City for the Round of 16 match against Mexico at Mexico City Stadium.

If Tuchel’s side go on to win, the path ahead would likely take them back to Florida for a quarter-final battle against either Brazil or Norway at Miami Stadium, then to Atlanta for the semi-final, and finally to East Rutherford, New Jersey for the grand finale.

By the time England return home — hopefully with the FIFA World Cup Trophy in hand — they will have covered approximately 25,500 miles. A gruelling journey, but one that could prove unforgettable.