The England and Scottish World Cup squads arrived at their pre-tournament training camps in Florida on 1 June 2026. If either England or Scotland were to make the final of the World Cup in New Jersey on 19 July, the players and support staff will have been away from home for 8 weeks. This is a significant period, particularly when the performances of both teams will be constantly scrutinised and the weight of expectation carried by the supporters of both countries will be ever-present. Organising and managing a tournament training camp is a complex task which, in England’s case, has evolved from some bitter experiences and failures to perform at the level the squad where capable of. Germany in 2006 is a good example.

The 2006 golden generation: learning the hard way

Expectations for England ahead of the 2006 World Cup were high. The squad was full of experienced players who had enjoyed many successes with their clubs. The claim that this was a golden generation of talented players was justifiable. The tournament, being held in Germany, also minimised the effects of travel fatigue and the weather was similar to the UK. The England team based themselves in the small town of Baden-Baden in the Black Forest and occupied a luxury hotel where they were joined by their wives, girlfriends, partners and families, who were colloquially known as the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) and FAFs (friends and families). The WAGs included the high-profile wives and partners of players like David Beckham, Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney.

Unfortunately, Baden-Baden became a celebrity circus with the focus often centred on the social activities of the players’ partners and families rather than the football. This coupled with friction between groups of players from different clubs, particularly the players from Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, probably contributed to the poor on-field performances. It was a tournament from which a lot could be learned, especially how an optimal balance between time focused on football and personal time with families can be achieved, and how relationships between players from rival clubs can be effectively managed.

Choosing the right training camp

One of the first steps in planning a World Cup campaign is to choose the right training camp, and evaluating from a range of options requires careful consideration. For a tournament like the World Cup, FIFA produce a catalogue of approved training facilities and associated accommodation. Each of these approved centres will have met the standards and requirements set by FIFA, and FIFA also contribute to the costs of using these facilities by the competing countries.

For the 2026 tournament, England have chosen to base themselves in Kansas City and will use the facilities at the Swope Soccer Village together with a hotel a short distance away. One concern is the privacy afforded at the Swope facility and England will be establishing additional fences around the pitches to avoid other teams spying on them. Kansas has also been chosen as a base by Argentina, the Netherlands and Algeria. This is most likely because of its central location which helps to minimise travel and time-zone adjustment during the tournament. Scotland meanwhile are basing themselves in Charlotte, North Carolina and using the facilities of Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC. With group games in Boston and Miami, it made sense to be based on the East Coast and Charlotte is less than a two-hour flight to both cities. It might also have helped that Charlotte FC are managed by Dean Smith, the former Aston Villa manager, and a friend of the Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

Making the hotel a ‘home away from home’ is an important consideration and England, with their considerable tournament experience, have made this a carefully managed process. From players’ rooms possessing messages, pictures and other items from their families, to spaces dedicated for playing video games and other activities, the hotel will be organised to make it feel more personal and homely, which includes each player having their own pillows and mattress. This attention to detail, and making the hotel space less like a hotel and more like a home, aims to minimise the mental fatigue that can be associated with competitive sports tournaments (Russell et al., 2022). Unlike when players are playing for their clubs, they cannot go back to their own homes after training in the morning, so minimising the potential for boredom and occupying the considerable amount of spare time needs to be managed well.

Another aspect learned from the experience of 2006 is how relationships between players from rival club teams can be managed and developed. This is where England have invested more significantly in age-group national teams such as the under-17s and under-19s. The benefits of bringing players together for European and world tournaments in these age groups are significant. These include:

• learning how to live in a tournament camp and being away from home for a significant period
• experiencing different cultures and different environmental conditions for playing football
• the opportunity to develop an ‘England’ identity and foster a ‘Club England’ approach.

Most of the players in the England squad will have experienced playing in an international age-group tournament, and it has been a purposeful strategy to foster a culture more like that of a club where wearing an England shirt is less ‘heavy’, as Gareth Southgate has said (Northcroft, 2024). Much of this has been informed by psychology, a better understanding of team dynamics and the importance of a group culture that are all necessary for achieving success on the field. When Thomas Tuchel announced the England squad, he made a pointed reference to not selecting the most talented players. It may be that England have come to realise that a successful World Cup campaign is built on a group of players who can work together effectively, support and trust each other and offer different qualities on the pitch at different times.

There is one last point to consider. No matter how well organised a training camp is managed, the mood in the camp is inevitably influenced by results on the pitch. For England and Scotland, positive results early in the group stage is an important foundation on which to build.