The 2026 World Cup is finally over, with Spain crowned world champions for the first time since 2010 after lifting the trophy in the expanded 48-team tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
With 16 host cities spread across three countries and three time zones, it was also the largest World Cup ever staged geographically.
The two furthest venues – Vancouver and Miami – are separated by almost 2,800 miles, creating a logistical challenge unlike any previous edition.
While supporters of every nation faced lengthy journeys, some had to travel significantly further than others as their teams progressed deep into the knockout rounds.
To find out which fanbases clocked up the most miles, FootballGroundGuide calculated the return distance from each nation's home country to their World Cup base camp, as well as all return journeys between base camps and match venues throughout the tournament.
Teams eliminated in the group stage were excluded from the rankings.
Which nations travelled the furthest?
| Nation | Base Camp | Total Distance (Including Home Travel) |
|---|---|---|
| England | Prairie Village, KS | 21,958 |
| Spain | Chattanooga, TN | 20,910 |
| Australia | Berkeley, CA | 17,910 |
| Paraguay | San Jose, CA | 16,982 |
| Colombia | Guadalajara, Jalisco | 15,874 |
| Switzerland | San Diego, CA | 15,850 |
| South Africa | Pachuca, Hidalgo | 14,562 |
| Egypt | Airway Heights, WA | 14,334 |
| Argentina | Kansas City, MO | 14,210 |
| Japan | Nashville, TN | 14,026 |
| Morocco | Warren, NJ | 13,676 |
| DR Congo | Houston, TX | 12,426 |
| Portugal | Palm Beach, FL | 12,486 |
| Ghana | Providence, RI | 11,814 |
| Norway | Greensboro, NC | 11,694 |
| Senegal | New Brunswick, NJ | 11,568 |
| Ivory Coast | Wilmington, DE | 11,344 |
| Brazil | Basking Ridge, NJ | 11,166 |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Salt Lake City, UT | 11,078 |
| Ecuador | Columbus, OH | 10,444 |
| Canada | Vancouver, BC | 10,316 |
| Algeria | Lawrence, KS | 10,150 |
| Austria | Goleta, CA | 10,146 |
| Belgium | Renton, WA | 10,142 |
| France | Boston, MA | 9,556 |
| Germany | Winston-Salem, NC | 9,212 |
| Cape Verde | Tampa, FL | 9,196 |
| Sweden | Frisco, TX | 8,400 |
| Netherlands | Kansas City, MO | 8,208 |
| Croatia | Alexandria, VA | 8,066 |
| United States | Irvine, CA | 4,790 |
| Mexico | Mexico City, Mexico City | 660 |
England topped the standings by some distance, with the Three Lions covering 21,958 miles across their journey when factoring in travel to and from North America.
Spain were the only other nation to exceed 20,000 miles, while several South American and European sides also saw their totals rise significantly once long-haul flights were included.
At the opposite end of the scale, no team benefited more from the schedule than co-hosts Mexico.
El Tri travelled just 660 miles throughout their campaign before being knocked out by England, with almost all of their matches taking place close to home.
Interestingly, hosting the tournament did not guarantee minimal travel. Canada still accumulated over 10,000 miles as they progressed through the knockout stages, while the United States covered 4,790 miles despite enjoying home advantage.
Overall, the inclusion of international travel highlights just how demanding the tournament was for travelling supporters, particularly those crossing continents to follow their teams across North America.