It’s game day. You wake up, have a stretch, put the kettle on and plan your day ahead – which presumably entails watching your team win 3-0. The supporters of Gateshead FC probably went through a similar ritual to that ahead of their National League contest with Truro City on February 21, 2026… albeit at a much earlier time of day than others.
The distance between Gateshead, of Tyne & Wear in the North East, and Cornwall’s Truro City is a cool 452 miles; which, allowing for traffic, means that you’ve got a drive of around seven hours on your hands. If you opt to take public transport, well, let’s just say your alarm clock will be going off rather earlier than you might otherwise like.
Suffice to say, the fixture between Truro City and Gateshead FC has broken the English record for longest away day travelled by plucky fans. Incidentally, just three days later, the most ardent of Newcastle United supporters made the trip to Azerbaijan to watch their team in the Champions League against Qarabag – the 2,529 mile trip is the longest an English side has ever made for a game in the competition.
In It for the Long Haul
Technically, the record was broken in October 2025, when 185 hardy fans of Truro made the long trip north to watch their heroes against Gateshead. They at least got to see an entertaining 2-2 draw… although the seven-hour trip home would have been punctuated by feelings of what-might-have-been after Truro let a two-goal lead slip.
The away day round trip, measured officially at 914 miles with a travel time of 15 hours and 12 minutes, beat the previous record set by Truro’s trip to Carlisle United – that was a mere 878 miles. By the following February, it was the turn of Gateshead fans to face the 5am alarm call… or, perhaps more sagely, make a long weekend of it in Cornwall.
Although official attendance figures haven’t been published, it’s thought that between 50 and 150 Gateshead supporters made the vigil. And they were rewarded. A brace from Harry Chapman, including a sublime solo goal, saw Gateshead fans make the long slog north in celebratory mood following a 2-1 victory.
GOAL OF THE SEASON CONTENDER?! 😱
Harry Chapman doubles his tally for the night from long range after a sensational run! 🚀
Watch Truro vs. Gateshead, LIVE on DAZN 📺 @NL_Enterprise | @GatesheadFC pic.twitter.com/eaEeh3fWg8
— National League on DAZN (@DAZN_NationalLg) February 21, 2026
So, that’s the longest away day in English football wrapped up. But what about in Europe… and the rest of the world?
What Is the Longest Football Away Day in Europe?
There are two ways to answer that question: the longest away day for fans playing a league game in a European nation, as well as the furthest distance travelled by supporters for a match in a continental competition.
FC Kelimay and FC Atyrau: 2,606 Miles
Let’s start with the former. Is Kazakhstan in Europe? Technically, it falls under the jurisdiction of Asia, but part of its land does cross into Eastern Europe – and UEFA recognises Kazakhstan as a European nation, too. Therefore, the longest away day for a league game in Europe belongs to the fans of FC Kelimay and FC Atyrau, who ply their trade in the Kazakhstan Premier League.
The distance travelled? A cool 2,606 miles. Due to the natural of internal Kazakhstani flights, it would take around seven-and-a-half hours to travel to such a game. By road, expect to be behind the wheel for around 30 hours – crossing into, and out of, Russia along the way.
UD Las Palmas & FC Andorra: 2,748 Miles
Mind you, that can be topped in terms of mileage, if not travel time. Spain’s La Liga 2 sees Las Palmas, located on Gran Canaria, take on FC Andorra, the representatives of the nation of Andorra, which can be found on the north-eastern border of Spain and France.
The distance between those respective clubs? Just 2,748 miles, that’s all. But the overall travel time is typically less than the Kazakh odyssey detailed above, with flights much easier to come by – it’s around six hours, with stops, from Las Palmas to Andorra (or vice versa).
Newcastle United & Qarabağ FK: 2,529 Miles
When considering the longest away day travel for fans in a European competition, there is some conjecture. Newcastle United’s 2,529 mile jolly to take on Azerbaijan’s Qarabag in the Champions League in February 2026 is certainly right up there.
Around 2,000 madcap Magpies made the trip, which incorporated a flight from Newcastle – with a stop-off in Istanbul or Budapest – to Baku. However, should an English club draw FC Astana, the Kazakh club, in one of UEFA’s club competitions then the record would be smashed once more.
What Is the Longest Away Day in Football?
If you thought those away days were long and torturous, you ain’t seen nothing yet. There are at least three notable, season-after-season journeys that cover more than 5,500 miles… and that’s just one way!
Vancouver Whitecaps & Inter Miami: 3,400 Miles
Vancouver Whitecaps, in the west of Canada, find themselves locking horns with Inter Miami, who are located in the south-east of the United States in Florida. You can fly between them in around six hours, but if you want to drive – good luck with that – it will take around 50 hours.
That perhaps helps to offer some explanation as to why Miami, on home soil, were able to defeat Vancouver in the final of the 2025 MLS Cup. Canada, meanwhile, plays host to what we believe to be the second-longest domestic away day in football. From Pacific FC on the country’s west coast to Halifax Wanderers in the east, there’s around 5,770 miles to be travelled – you could use the Trans-Canada Highway if you wanted to drive it (and you have around three days to spare).
Perth Glory & Wellington Phoenix: 6,500 Miles
But the award for the longest away day in domestic football is reserved for Australia’s A-League, where supporters of Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix have to navigate land – lots of land, actually – and some sea to watch their respective teams.
More than 6,500 miles separates them, from the west coast of Australia to the heart of New Zealand. It will take you around eight hours to fly from one to the other… a car-ferry-car route considerably longer than that. Notably, when the two teams meet, they battle it out for the aptly-named Long Distance Trophy.
