Harry Kane set the tone plainly: "This is where the business starts." England are in Kansas City, the Florida acclimatisation camp is behind them, and Tuesday's opener against Croatia is three days away.
The first training session at Swope Soccer Village was as revealing as it was routine. In the heat — around 31°C, no shade, no mercy — Tuchel ran his squad through their paces. And for those trying to read team selection from the drills, there was something worth noting.
The same XI looks likely against Croatia
The ten outfield players who started against Costa Rica — Bellingham, Konsa, Stones, O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Kane, Gordon, Rice, Madueke, and Reece James — trained as a separate group from the rest of the squad. Could be coincidence. Probably isn't.
That group beating Costa Rica and now being pulled aside together points strongly toward Tuchel keeping faith with the same starting XI in Dallas. Croatia aren't Costa Rica, but the logic of not disrupting a winning combination this early in a tournament is hard to argue with.
The one obvious tweak would be Bukayo Saka for Madueke on the right. Except Saka wasn't part of that group — and didn't look like he was moving freely either. Tuchel has already flagged that the Arsenal winger needs managing through the tournament. If he can't train at full intensity four days before the opener, his involvement against Croatia looks shaky at best. That makes Madueke's place in the side look a lot more secure than many expected, and any market pricing Saka into the starting lineup deserves a second look.
The theft story is already being managed down
England's camp in Florida ended with an unwanted subplot: equipment stolen from a vehicle in transit to Kansas City. Two men — Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal — have since been charged by Kansas City police in connection with an $18,000 theft involving boots, a ball, goalkeeper gloves, and training kit.
The FA was quick to clarify that no elite performance equipment was taken and that most items have been recovered. Dan Burn's response said it all: "It's not really been spoken about so that just shows for us that they aren't too worried about it."
Whether that's genuine indifference or careful media management, the players are clearly under instruction not to let it become a distraction narrative. Tuchel's focus is sharper: "From tomorrow it's about three days preparation for Croatia."
- England are based at the Inn at Meadowbrook Hotel in Prairie Village, Kansas City
- Training takes place at Swope Soccer Village, a 20-minute drive from the hotel
- Group stage opponents: Croatia, Ghana, Panama
- Saka described by Tuchel as needing to be "managed through the tournament"
Kane called Croatia "a difficult team" who have "proved in the last two World Cups that they can be one of the best teams in the tournament." He's right — they reached the final in 2018 and the semi-finals in 2022. England will need more than a warm-weather training camp and a clean sheet against Costa Rica to get past them.
