England to Base in Kansas City for 2026 World Cup

England manager Thomas Tuchel has outlined plans to establish a fixed base in Kansas City for the 2026 World Cup, aiming to provide his players with a sense of home amid the tournament's demanding travel schedule. The strategy, which involves flying in and out of the central U.S. city for matches, reflects player preferences for familiarity and comfort during the expanded 48-team event hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Football Association selected the five-star Inn at Meadowbrook, a 54-room boutique hotel on the Kansas side of the state line, as the team's headquarters. Located in a quiet, secluded area about 20 minutes from training facilities, the property offers privacy and amenities tailored to the squad's needs. Tuchel highlighted the choice of a small, intimate setting over larger American hotels, where teams might only encounter each other in elevators or hallways under constant air conditioning without openable windows. "We're trying to because, basically, that was the choice, to have a home, to have a home base, to have a bed that you're used to sleeping in, to have a bed with a good mattress, to have a hotel with privacy, a small hotel," Tuchel...