England top air miles among semi-finalists - does it matter?

England have travelled more than 14,000 miles to reach the World Cup semi-finals, seven times further than favourites France and considerably more than semi-final opponents Argentina. Thomas Tuchel's side have travelled back and forth from their base in Kansas City to play matches in Atlanta, Boston, Mexico City and Miami. France have remained almost entirely on the east coast, travelling fewer than 2,000 miles before heading to Dallas for their semi-final. Spain have logged more than 12,000 miles, while Switzerland exceeded 10,000 miles. France's tally is one of the lowest of any nation at the tournament. While long-distance travel is not new to the World Cup, the first 48-team tournament, staged across three host nations and 16 cities, has presented a different challenge. Norway manager Stale Solbakken admitted the physical demands of the tournament had started to take a toll on his squad, citing air conditioning, flights, and changing rooms as factors.