Travelling to World Cup Glory

Navigating the unique demands of North America

North American Club Partners

Cumulative travel

r = .20

More distance, travel time, and time away were associated with more team high-intensity running.

Team points

r = -.14

More cumulative time away was associated with fewer points.

Goals conceded

r = .14

More cumulative time away was associated with conceding more goals.

Away teams appeared to run more, but get less reward.

Draper, Chesterton & Wright, 2024, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.

In North American soccer, the signal was clearer for accumulated travel than for a single acute trip.

Real-world studies generally show detrimental effects on physical performance, but the size of the effect varies across conditions.

At altitude, match distance may reduce and breathlessness can increase relative to leg exertion.

For 2026, geography, climate, altitude, and scheduling are one combined performance problem.

Draper et al., 2023, Science and Medicine in Football; Draper et al., 2025 bioRxiv preprint; Draper et al., 2023, Journal of Sports Sciences.

Congested schedules

98%

Reported that accumulated travel during congested fixture periods has a further negative impact.

Full season

91%

Reported that travel accumulation across a season has a further negative impact.

Daily routine

Before 5 pm

Practitioners preferred arrivals before evening because late arrivals disrupt sleep, meals, and normal preparation.

The issue is not just miles travelled. It is what travel does to routine.

Jenkinson et al., 2026, Science and Medicine in Football.

The practical answer is boring in the best way: protect sleep, meals, movement, and predictability.

Survey of 44 medical and performance practitioners in elite North American soccer.