FIFA Unveils Team Base Camps for 2026 World Cup
Defending champions Argentina and host of football heavyweights have learned where they will live, train, and prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with global football’s governing body releasing the official list of team base camps on Monday for the tournament that kicks off next month across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
In a historic expansion, the 2026 edition will feature a record 48 nations, the largest field in World Cup history. Of these, 39 teams will be stationed in the United States, seven in Mexico, and two in Canada, reflecting the unprecedented scale of the first ever three nation co hosted World Cup.
“Team Base Camps are an integral part of the fabric of any FIFA World Cup,” said Heimo Schirgi, Chief Operating Officer of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “They are where teams put down roots, train and recuperate, and experience the day to day rhythms of the tournament.”
Kansas City has emerged as the unofficial capital of footballing royalty, with both defending champions Argentina, based at the Sporting KC Training Centre, and three time former champions England, lodged at Swope Soccer Village, calling the city home. The Netherlands will also operate from the city, training at the KC Current Training Facility, while Algeria takes residence at the University of Kansas.
Brazil, the most decorated nation in World Cup history with five titles, will be based at the Columbia Park Training Facility in the New York-New Jersey corridor. Morocco, Senegal, and Haiti will share the same metropolitan area, training at the Pingry School, Rutgers University, and Stockton University respectively.
One of the most politically significant decisions concerns Iran, which will be based at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana, Mexico, after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday that her country would host the team to circumvent United States visa restrictions. Iran joins Colombia, South Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uruguay as the nations stationed in Mexico. Canada and Panama will base themselves in Canada.
The full list of base camps spans an extraordinary geographic spread. Australia heads to the San Francisco Bay Area at the Oakland Roots/Soul facility, while Saudi Arabia settles in Austin, Texas. Germany will train at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, France at Bentley University in Boston, and Spain at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
African representatives are spread widely. Ghana camps at Bryant University in Boston, Egypt at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, Cote d’Ivoire at Philadelphia Union’s facility, Cabo Verde at Waters Sportsplex in Tampa, and Congo DR at the Houston Training Centre.
Other notable placements include Japan in Nashville at the Nashville SC facility, Portugal in Palm Beach Gardens, Switzerland in San Diego, and the host United States at the Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, California. Uzbekistan, one of the tournament’s debutants, will train at the Atlanta United Training Centre.
The full base camp allocation includes Austria at UC Santa Barbara, Belgium at the Seattle Sounders performance centre in Renton, Bosnia and Herzegovina at RSL Stadium in Sandy, Utah, Canada at the National Soccer Development Centre in Vancouver, Croatia at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Curacao at Florida Atlantic University, Czechia at Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium in Dallas, Ecuador at the Columbus Crew Performance Centre, Iraq at the Greenbrier Sports Performance Centre in West Virginia, Jordan at the University of Portland, New Zealand at the University of San Diego, Norway at UNC Greensboro, Panama at Nottawasaga Training Site in New Tecumseth, Paraguay at the Spartan Soccer Complex, Qatar at Westmont College, Scotland at the Charlotte FC facility, Sweden at FC Dallas Stadium, and Turkiye at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa.
In Mexico, Colombia trains at Academia Atlas FC in Guadalajara, South Korea at Chivas Verde Valle, Mexico at Centro de Alto Rendimiento in Mexico City, South Africa at Pachuca’s Universidad Del Futbol, Tunisia at the Rayados Training Centre in Monterrey, and Uruguay at the Mayakoba Training Centre in Cancun.
With the tournament rapidly approaching, the announcement marks one of the final major logistical milestones before the world’s biggest sporting event commences across North America.
AFP