England land in America as Three Lions start to prepare for World Cup

Thomas Tuchel's England squad touched down in Miami as preparations for this summer's World Cup have got underway.

The majority of the 26-man party departed from Birmingham airport earlier in the day, landing in Florida to begin their pre-tournament training camp.

Several Arsenal players will link up with their teammates later, having featured in Saturday's Champions League final loss to Paris St Germain.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke are among those set to arrive separately in the Sunshine State.

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The squad will spend five days adjusting to the sweltering Florida conditions, with temperatures at their Palm Beach base anticipated to exceed 30 degrees Celsius.

Tuchel's side face New Zealand in a warm-up fixture at Tampa Bay on Saturday before travelling to Orlando for a second friendly against Costa Rica the following Tuesday.

The squad will then enjoy a brief period of rest and time with family members before relocating to their tournament headquarters in Kansas City.

England's World Cup campaign begins against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, with Tuchel's men placed in Group L for the tournament's opening phase.

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The German coach has pledged to secure a second star for the England shirt, 60 years after the Three Lions first.

Should everything go to plan, the Three Lions' journey would conclude in New Jersey on July 19, finally bringing an end to six decades of waiting for international football's ultimate prize.

Tuchel would become only the second manager, after Sir Alf Ramsey, to deliver World Cup glory for England, although the logistical challenges of this tournament make it particularly demanding.

The German manager, whose agent once told him his nationality would prevent him from taking the England job, laid out his vision when first meeting the players in March 2025.

Footage from a Football Association documentary captured Tuchel presenting a chart labelled Mount Everest Summit during a team meeting.

He told his squad: "I want to arrive here at the top, with the toughest group in the world.

"When we arrive on the plane and land, we will already know that this will be a great camp and this will be a team no one wants to play against.

"And they will feel it in the mixed zone, they will feel it in the tunnel, they will smell it."

While Florida will serve as England's initial base, the Football Association has selected Kansas City as tournament headquarters for the duration of the competition.

Rather than relocating between fixtures, England will remain in one location and fly to matches across the United States as required.

England will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the group stages of the competition.

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