World Cup debutants Curacao will travel a tournament-high 10,122km during the group stage, according to a travel distance analysis conducted by CSB. The study evaluated team travel from each base camp location to stadium venues and back across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The largest World Cup in history means that teams will be traveling longer than ever before. With rest at a premium as players recover, some teams face tens of thousands of miles of travel across North America.
Host nation Canada faces the worst single-match journey of any team in the tournament. Flying from their base camp in Vancouver to Toronto for their opening game requires a round trip of over 6,715km (4,172mi).
That single long trip contributes heavily to Canada ranking 36th out of 48 teams for total group stage travel distance. Les Rouges have the worst overall travel record among the three host countries.
In contrast, host nation Mexico ranks first overall for travel distance by flying the least of any team in the tournament. El Tri will operate out of a base camp in Mexico City.
Mexico plays two group stage matches at the Estadio Azteca. Their remaining group fixture takes place at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.
The United States ranks 15th for travel distance during the group stage. Based in Los Angeles, the Americans play two of their three matches in their home base city.
A second group game in Seattle extends the travel for the United States team. However, the squad still remains in the top 15 for the shortest travel distances.
Host rankings and top team base camps
Paraguay ranks second overall for least travel distance, while the Ivory Coast comes in third. Paraguay will be based in San Jose and plays all of its group matches in California.
The Ivory Coast will train at the stadium of Major League Soccer team Philadelphia Union. The African nation plays two of its group stage matches in Philadelphia.
Among the tournament favorites, France enjoys the least travel and ranks seventh overall. Their base camp in Boston serves as a central location for group matches in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Foxborough.
World Cup holders Argentina rank 11th for total travel distance during the group stage. Based in Kansas City, Lionel Messi and his teammates play their opener at Arrowhead Stadium.
Following their opening match in Kansas City, Argentina will contest a pair of group games in Dallas.
Travel schedules for tournament favorites
Brazil ranks 18th, making them the last tournament favorite positioned in the top half of the travel rankings. The team is based at the newly opened New York Red Bulls training facility in New Jersey.
That location provides central access for Brazil's matches in East Rutherford and Philadelphia. The team will then travel to Miami for their group fixture against Scotland.
Spain ranks 28th, a position affected by a group stage match against Uruguay in Guadalajara. Spain's base camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee is otherwise suited for two matches in Atlanta.
Portugal ranks 31st with a base camp in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, which sits near their final group game in Miami. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal play two matches in Houston prior to that fixture, traveling over 6,000 kilometers this summer.
Germany falls to 32nd place because of a spread-out group stage setup. With fixtures in Houston, Toronto and New Jersey, Germany selected a base camp in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
England faces the longest travel among tournament favorites, ranking as the fourth-most traveled team overall. Their base camp in Kansas City offers a central location, but their schedule requires extensive flying.
After opening against their opponent in Dallas, the Three Lions must fly over three hours to games in Foxborough and East Rutherford. England logs 8,979km (5,579mi), making them the final team to travel under 9,000 kilometers.
Longest journeys for Curacao and group contenders
Austria ranks third-worst for travel distance, logging 9,243km (5,978km). Based in Santa Barbara, California, Austria plays their first match against Jordan in Santa Clara before traveling to Dallas and Kansas City.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the most peculiar setups of any team in the tournament. The Zmajevi set up camp in St. Louis to prepare for just one game, their opener against Canada in Toronto.
Following the Toronto fixture, Bosnia travels to Sandy, Utah, home of MLS team Real Salt Lake. They will train in Utah for the remainder of the tournament while playing group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Curacao faces the longest travel distance of all 48 teams, clocking in at 10,122km (6,289mi). The World Cup debutants have group matches scattered across Houston, Kansas City and Philadelphia.
Rather than choosing a central base camp in Tennessee or North Carolina, the Blue Wave selected Boca Raton, Florida. The team will train on the campus of Florida Atlantic University throughout the group stage.
