How far will each team travel during the 2018 FIFA World Cup?
The shortest travellers
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, and this year is Russia’s turn to host the tournament. Starting June 14th, the 32 qualified nations will face off over 64 games, across twelve stadiums.
Germany are the reigning champions after they lifted the 2014 FIFA World Cup trophy in Rio de Janeiro, and unsurprisingly, they are this year’s favourites to win the competition again. Brazil are a close second, and they will be looking for redemption after being humiliated by the Germans 7-1 to knock them out of the tournament on their own turf four years ago.
As with the 2014 World Cup, this host nation is one of the largest in the world, and as such, the distances between stadiums and training camps are much greater than usual. Therefore, air travel is the only suitable form of transportation for most fixtures in the tournament.
Every team would choose aircraft charter as their preferred form of transport if possible. Coaches or commercial flights are often unreliable, and can leave players and staff agitated and restless – not ideal before an important match.
The furthest travellers
Of the 32 teams competing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group Stage, Colombia will travel the shortest distance.
Based in the Republic of Tatarstan, the Colombians’ fixtures will require them to travel to the nearby Saransk, followed by an hour’s drive to Kazan, and finally a trip to Samara.
The distance that Colombia will travel is 1,158 miles, requiring 26 hours via road, or just three hours by air charter.
On the other hand, Egypt will have to travel the furthest.
With their training camp based in Grozny, one of the furthest south Russian cities, most of their fixtures take place much further north.
Firstly, a trip to the furthest east city in the tournament, Yekaterinburg, then to the northernmost city, Saint Petersburg. The third fixture is a relatively short journey to Volgograd, but in total, Egypt will need to travel 7,316 miles.
By road, this would mean an unfathomable 165 hours of driving, but via air charter, this time is divided by eight, only requiring 20 hours of travel time.
As the 2018 FIFA World Cup progresses, be sure to check back as we update each team’s total travel time.
If you require a Group Air Charter service for teams or their supporters, Chapman Freeborn’s specialists are on hand to ensure a tailored flight solution to meet your sports travel needs.
We understand the demands of the sporting calendar and provide a fully-managed charter service offering maximum convenience and flexibility.
For a no-obligation quote or further information, please call us on +44 (0) 1293 572 872 or email us at [email protected].
Request a quote
With 50 years of experience in the charter market, we will give you the information that you need to make an informed decision.