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While there may be other teams more widely tipped to lift the World Cup trophy, England’s detailed preparation suggests they could have timed their run to perfection this time.

When the Lionesses captured the European Championship title in 2022 — just a year after the men’s team fell short in the delayed Euro 2020 final against Italy — they ended the nation’s long wait for a major senior trophy since that legendary 1966 triumph.

Before that, apart from finishing runners-up in the Women’s Euro 1984 tournament that featured only four teams, England had never reached a major final on foreign soil.

Since 2022, however, the story has changed dramatically. In Australia and New Zealand, the Lionesses reached the final of the 2023 World Cup. In Germany, the men advanced to the final of Euro 2024. And in Switzerland, the women triumphed at Euro 2025. England have now made the final of their last six men’s, women’s, and U21 European Championships — undeniable progress, though a World Cup victory abroad still eludes them.

Now comes the American challenge. England enter this summer’s World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico as one of the frontrunners, yet they remain slightly behind France, Spain, Argentina, and Portugal in the eyes of many neutrals — perhaps the perfect position to operate under the radar. In astronomy, the “Goldilocks zone” is the ideal distance from a star where life can exist. This tournament could find England in their own Goldilocks zone — the right balance of chemistry, quality, and expectation.

Kevin Keegan barely featured at the 1982 World Cup due to a back injury, and Frank Lampard missed Euro 2012 with a thigh strain. But Thomas Tuchel has had a rare luxury in naming his 26-man squad free from injury troubles.

England’s German manager selected two players for every position, along with a third goalkeeper and three versatile wildcards — Dan Burn, a Harry Maguire-like aerial presence; Eberechi Eze, the creative spark; and Saudi-based Ivan Toney of Al Ahli, a penalty expert used to playing in hot conditions.

Tuchel has displayed the traits of a coach who understands the unique demands of international football, even though this is his first World Cup despite it being the fourth for some of his players.

Inside the Football Association, one phrase has circulated widely: this expanded World Cup “will be won as much in the planning as in the playing.” With 48 teams competing across a vast geographical area, it will be one of the largest sporting events ever staged.

England’s preparations have been state-of-the-art. Their 11-day training camp in Miami was designed to help players adapt to the heat and humidity of the host cities. Players have been using ‘Whoop smart bands’ to monitor heart rate and sleep quality — wearable even during matches for the first time. Every marginal gain counts.

After defeating New Zealand 1-0 in Tampa and following that up with an impressive 3-0 win over Costa Rica in Orlando, the squad’s fringe players faced amateur side Miami United in a behind-closed-doors training match on Thursday. They then enjoyed a short break before flying from Florida to Kansas City on Saturday for the tournament’s start.

Kansas City sits at the heart of America — and at the centre of England’s World Cup campaign. While Argentina and the Netherlands were given the top training facilities by FIFA because they play matches there, the FA secured Swope Soccer Village, the third-choice site, along with a secluded 54-room hotel nearby. The hotel’s staff have been placed on leave for a month so that Team England can operate with full control and precision.

Tuchel has again shown the qualities of a coach who fully grasps international football’s complexities, even on his World Cup debut.

In a tournament where player management will be crucial — with an added ‘round of 32’, extreme heat, and multiple time zones — every squad member could play a role. Tuchel must ensure all remain engaged and ready. England’s substitutes could be as vital as their starters.

They qualified with maximum points but initially struggled for rhythm under Tuchel, before exploding into form with a 5-0 demolition of Serbia. That night in Belgrade became a turning point — the moment when everything clicked on the field and team spirit solidified off it, a memory Tuchel still cites as a key reference.

He shares a special connection with captain Harry Kane. While some purists dislike the idea of building a team around one player, England may have no better strategy than to maximise their talisman’s extraordinary form. Tuchel plans to surround Kane with complementary players, “not necessarily the biggest names.”

Former manager Sir Gareth Southgate recently said, “Very often, you have to go close to winning in order to learn how to win. We’ve been to two finals; many of the barriers to winning have already been broken.” From the moment Tuchel took charge, this campaign has been about taking that final, hardest step.

While a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo may no longer be a major threat, Portugal certainly are. France and Spain remain perennial contenders, and between Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, they have claimed all but one of the last eight World Cups held in the Americas.

England cannot afford to shrink from the challenge. To win, they must defy history and blaze a new trail — fitting, perhaps, given that the last World Cup held in the United States, in 1994, was the one England failed to qualify for.

This summer tells a different story. They have a Champions League-winning manager in love with his role, a refreshed defence that has evolved beyond veterans Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire, and a backline that conceded zero goals during qualifying. Ahead of them, a promising midfield trio of Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, and one of Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers looks set to dominate. Leading the attack is the world’s most lethal striker, who insists he is in “the best physical and mental condition of my career.”

In a tournament without a clear favourite, if a touch of luck goes their way, perhaps — just perhaps — it will finally be England’s time.