England to share host city with Lionel Messi and Argentina at 2026 World Cup as Three Lions announce pre-tournament fixtures

Ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, England have picked their base of operations. They will spend the tournament in Kansas City, with defending champions Argentina also picking the location as their base. The Three Lions will not play any group games in the city but have picked it due to its central location. England face Croatia in Dallas on June 17, then they play Ghana in Boston on June 23, and Panama in New York on June 27.

Argentina will use Sporting KC's facilities, while England will train on those that are instead used by Sporting KC II. England will play two friendlies in south Florida, against New Zealand and Costa Rica.

A statement read: "Thomas Tuchel’s side will take on New Zealand on Saturday 6 June before facing Costa Rica on Wednesday 10 June, with both match venues to be confirmed in due course.

"England will be based in Kansas City, Missouri for the duration of the tournament. Swope Soccer Village will be the Three Lions’ training base with Kansas City identified as the preferred location in January 2025 following an extensive search.

"Swope Soccer Village is one of Sporting Kansas City’s training facilities and the current home of the club’s MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT sides. The complex, located in the heart of Kansas City’s historic Swope Park, has previously hosted a variety of national and club sides having opened in 2007."

England are aiming to end a trophy drought that has now spanned 60 long years. Manager Thomas Tuchel has made it abundantly clear that his ambition is to win the tournament in America.

He said in December: "Yes, because we have got better. We have to arrive and try to make a special thing happen, but we cannot guarantee it.

"Everyone knows that we cannot promise that we will win it, but they want to see a team, team spirit, a team that gives everything [and] fights for each other and they want that if they are in the stadium or watching on the TV.

"If the players bring that then I think anything is possible. We will be brave enough to dream about it, we will be brave enough to try it."

Tuchel is already thinking ahead, and replied when asked if he could tell substitutes to remain in the dressing room to avoid the debilitating heat in America: "If this is what helps us later in the match when they come on, OK, we consider that as a possibility.

"Nobody likes it as I want the players to be out here and feel the energy and give the energy from the bench onto the field, but I know what you mean. I saw teams doing this and players doing this at the Club World Cup. Hopefully we can avoid it. It is always better if they can be with us."

Tuchel has warned his players that they must show the "proper respect" to their group-stage opponents.

He 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."

England play two preparatory friendlies in March. They will first take on Uruguay, before a clash with Japan. Both games will be played at Wembley.