A tournament spread across vast distances

The expanded 2026 World Cup will not only be the biggest in the tournament’s history. It will also be one of the most demanding for teams on the move.

According to TV 2 Sport, the 48 participating nations are expected to travel a combined 241,864 kilometres during the group stage alone.

That is roughly the same as circling the Earth six times, and it underlines the scale of a tournament spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The new format brings more teams, more matches and more host cities. It also brings a level of travel that no previous World Cup has required.

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Curaçao faces the longest route

Curaçao is expected to travel farther than any other team during the group stage.

The Caribbean nation is projected to cover 10,119 kilometres, with a schedule that takes the squad from its Florida base to Houston, Kansas City and then Philadelphia for its final group match against Ivory Coast.

It is a demanding route even before the football begins. Long flights, changing climates and recovery time between matches could all become part of the competitive picture.

Bosnia and Herzegovina faces a different kind of challenge. While Curaçao has the highest total travel figure, Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to have the longest combined distance between the stadiums where its three group matches will be played.

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No easy route for any team

Even the countries with the shortest travel plans will still have to cover significant distances.

Paraguay is listed at 1,033 kilometres, while co-host Mexico is expected to travel 1,178 kilometres during the group stage.

No team is projected to travel less than 1,000 kilometres, a striking figure for a tournament that has long presented itself as a global festival but now stretches across an entire continent.

For coaches and medical staff, travel management will become a major part of preparation. Recovery, sleep, training routines and adaptation to local conditions may prove almost as important as tactics.

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Environmental concerns grow

The travel demands also raise questions about the environmental cost of the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup has already faced criticism over its likely carbon footprint, and the movement of teams, officials, media and supporters across such large distances will add to those concerns.

The expanded format gives FIFA a larger event and greater commercial reach. But it also makes sustainability harder to defend.

For the teams, the challenge will be practical. For the organisers, it will be reputational.

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The tournament is designed to showcase football on a massive stage. Its first test may be whether that stage has become too large.

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