England’s determined pursuit of World Cup success is officially underway, as Thomas Tuchel’s squad departed for their pre-tournament training camp in Florida on Monday. The manager has likened the challenge ahead to climbing football’s Mount Everest, setting the tone for an ambitious campaign.

The first group of players took off from Birmingham, while key figures including Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke are scheduled to join later, following their Champions League final loss to PSG.

England aim for their journey to culminate in victory on 19 July, hoping to end six decades of disappointment and capture their first World Cup title since 1966.

Tuchel has pledged publicly to add a second star to England’s shirt, recognising the immense challenge of a tournament spread across three nations and four time zones — conditions that make this edition one of the most demanding yet.

The team will spend five days acclimatising to the intense heat of Palm Beach, where the mercury is expected to rise above 30°C. Their warm-up schedule includes a friendly against New Zealand in Tampa Bay on Saturday, followed by another against Costa Rica in Orlando on Tuesday. After these matches, the squad will have a short rest period and family time before relocating to their World Cup base in Kansas City.

Tuchel, appointed in November 2024 to succeed Sir Gareth Southgate with a clear mandate to win the tournament, once revealed that his own agent had told him it would be impossible for a German to manage England. Yet, in March 2025, he outlined his bold vision to his players.

As captured in a Football Association documentary, Tuchel presented a slide titled “Mount Everest Summit” during a team meeting and inspired his squad with an impassioned address.

“I want to reach the top, with the toughest group in the world. When we step off that plane, we’ll already know this will be a great camp, and we’ll be a team no one wants to face. They will sense it in the mixed zone, they will feel it in the tunnel, and they will smell it,” he told his players.

England’s opening fixture in Group L is set for 17 June in Dallas, where they will take on Croatia.

The ultimate goal is for England’s campaign to conclude over a month later in New Jersey, with Tuchel aspiring to etch his name alongside Sir Alf Ramsey as an England manager who conquered the world.