England are plotting to have TWO camps for 2026 World Cup should they qualify – with Three Lions keen to stay at an acclimatisation area before moving on to a cooler base

• The 2026 World Cup will be staged over Canada, Mexico and the USA 
• LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Why Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid paid off for Liverpool 

By MIKE KEEGAN

England are considering using two base camps should they qualify for next year’s World Cup, Mail Sport understands.

Thomas Tuchel’s men could head to an ‘acclimatisation’ centre first to prepare for the possibility of gruelling heat and humidity, before switching headquarters to a cooler site for the rest of the tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It can be disclosed that officials are currently weighing up three options. The first, and currently most favoured, is to cross the Atlantic to a facility where players can prepare themselves for the intense environments they are likely to face.

Ahead of the group stages they would then head to a camp which they would be likely to call home for the duration of the tournament. While North America is rich with state-of-the-art sporting facilities, finding somewhere which fits the total package may be tricky.

Ideally, the Three Lions would find accommodation which is based over one storey, rather than in a traditional tower. The idea behind that is to ensure that Harry Kane and co remain in a convivial environment and that some do not feel isolated on separate floors.

In Germany, England’s base camp at a high-end rural golf resort was viewed as ideal and a similar facility across the Atlantic would be perfect. Another option would be to jet from city to city but this is not preferred.

Thomas Tuchel is plotting to have two bases for England at the 2026 World Cup if they qualify

England could head to an ‘acclimatisation’ centre first before moving on to a cooler base

The 2026 World Cup final will be held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA

Location is also key. No final decision has been made and is unlikely until qualification is all-but confirmed. One option would be to be based on either the east or west coasts, but it is thought that a location closer to the centre of North America makes more sense. By taking such a route, it would mean that while there are no games around the corner, there are also no gruelling long journeys.

According to FIFA, the draw will be staged ‘in late 2025’ which will then reveal the geographical zone were teams will play group matches. But work is already ongoing with little being left to chance as The Three Lions seek to finally end what will be a 70-year wait for major honours.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that FA chief Mark Bullingham was paid £1.32m last year. Bullingham’s earnings included a salary of £869,000 with the rest made up of a performance-related bonus.

The FA say Bullingham’s renumeration ‘was benchmarked extensively and independently by PriceWaterhouse Coopers’. 

A spokeswoman added: ‘It is performance based – Mark has led the business to meet and exceed robust and ambitious performance targets on and off the pitch and deliver our 2020-2024 strategic objectives.

‘The FA has a turnover of over £500million – equivalent to a FTSE 250 company – and is responsible for governing the national sport. 

‘To attract and retain high calibre executives, the total remuneration package on offer needs to be competitive in the context of a leadership role in our market.’

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England are plotting to have TWO camps for 2026 World Cup should they qualify – with Three Lions keen to stay at an acclimatisation area before moving on to a cooler base

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