England's nightmare schedule at the 2026 World Cup

England could be on the move if they progress deep into the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Reuters .

After the 2026 World Cup group stage draw took place on the morning of December 6, England was placed with Croatia, Panama and Ghana. The Sun assessed that this was not an easy group, but not too harsh for the team from the foggy land. However, if the "Three Lions" complete the goal of passing the group stage, the next stage will be very difficult.

England are scheduled to open the 2026 World Cup against Croatia on June 17 in Dallas (USA) or Toronto (Canada). Six days later, the Three Lions will face Ghana in Boston or return to Toronto. The final group stage match against Panama will take place in New York or Philadelphia on June 27.

Topping Group L is seen as the key to making the knockout stages easier for coach Thomas Tuchel and his players. If they win, England will face the third-placed team from another group at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. But things only get harder from here.

The England team had to go through many long flights. Photo: Reuters .

If they make it through the round of 32, the Three Lions could relive the sad memories of the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where the famous “Hand of God” incident took place in 1986, to face hosts Mexico. Then, Tuchel’s team will likely face Brazil in the quarterfinals. If they go on, they could meet Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Miami or Atlanta.

In total, if England play in Dallas, Boston and New Jersey and reach the final, they could have travelled more than 4,000 miles, not including the distance from their yet-to-be-determined base. If they finish second in the group, that figure could rise to more than 4,500 miles.

With a tight schedule and cross-continental travel, England must calculate carefully if they want to end their 60-year wait for the World Cup title.

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Source: https://znews.vn/lich-thi-dau-ac-mong-cua-tuyen-anh-tai-world-cup-2026-post1608852.html