A World Cup staged across three countries and 16 host cities has forced teams to cover unprecedented distances. England have travelled more than 14,000 miles to reach the semi-finals – seven times further than favourites France, who logged fewer than 2,000 miles before heading to Dallas.

Thomas Tuchel's side have shuttled from their Kansas City base to Atlanta, Boston, Mexico City and Miami. Argentina, also based in Kansas City, have covered 8,000 miles, while Spain and Switzerland exceeded 12,000 and 10,000 miles respectively. Belgium's decision to base in Renton, Washington limited travel to about 4,000 miles.

The physical toll is evident. Norway manager Stale Solbakken noted "air conditioning, flights, changing rooms" affecting his squad, though their journey was shorter. England have continued flying back to Kansas City after every match, while others stopped returning between games as knockout rounds progressed.

Whether accumulated miles become decisive remains unanswered, but France's remarkably low mileage compared to the rest of the last four presents a stark contrast.