Kansas City, New York among major hubs as FIFA World Cup 2026 teams confirm base camps
Washington DC, May 26
The footprint for the FIFA World Cup 2026 team base camp training sites has been finalised, with all 48 participating nations selecting their operational bases across the United States, Mexico and Canada ahead of football's biggest-ever global showpiece.
The Team Base Camps (TBCs), which serve as the "home away from home" for teams during the group stage, will host players, coaching staff and support personnel throughout the tournament. FIFA confirmed that the unprecedented scale of the expanded 48-team competition will spread the World Cup's economic and cultural impact far beyond the 16 official host cities, as per a FIFA media release.
A total of 39 teams will be based in the United States, while seven nations have chosen Mexico, and two will stay in Canada.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi described the finalisation of the base camp network as another key organisational milestone.
"Team Base Camps are an integral part of the fabric of any FIFA World Cup," Schirgi said. "They are where teams put down roots, train and recuperate, and experience the day-to-day rhythms of the tournament."
He added that the expanded tournament has created an opportunity to involve more cities and communities in the World Cup experience.
The selection process began in 2024, when FIFA shared an initial catalogue of elite facilities with prospective qualifiers. The options were refined through 2025 before teams made their final choices following the World Cup draw in December last year.
Several traditional football powers opted for high-profile American bases. Defending world champions Argentina will train in Kansas City at Sporting KC's training centre, while the Brazilian team selected a New York-New Jersey base at Columbia Park Training Facility.
The England team will also operate out of Kansas City at Swope Soccer Village, joining the Netherlands in the same region. France chose Bentley University in Boston, while Germany will stay in Winston-Salem at Wake Forest University.
The host nation United States, selected Irvine's Great Park Sports Complex in California as its base, while co-hosts Canada and Mexico will remain in Vancouver and Mexico City, respectively.
Among the seven teams based in Mexico are Colombia, Korea Republic, Uruguay, South Africa, Tunisia and Iran (based in Tijuana).
Meanwhile, 25 non-host communities across North America are set to welcome national teams, giving smaller cities and towns a chance to experience the World Cup atmosphere and associated tourism boost.
Communities such as Chattanooga, Spokane, Greensboro, Palm Beach Gardens, Santa Barbara and New Tecumseth are among those expected to benefit from the influx of teams, fans and media during the tournament.
The FIFA World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first edition of the tournament featuring 48 teams.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Team Base Camp Training Sites:
Participating Member Association - City - Training Site
Algeria - Kansas City - University of Kansas
Argentina - Kansas City - Sporting KC Training Centre
Australia - San Francisco Bay Area - Oakland Roots/Soul Training Facility
Austria - Goleta - UC Santa Barbara - Harder Stadium
Belgium - Renton - Seattle Sounders FC Performance Centre and Clubhouse
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sandy - RSL Stadium
Brazil - New York New Jersey - Columbia Park Training Facility
Canada - Vancouver - National Soccer Development Centre
Cote d'Ivoire - Philadelphia - Philadelphia Union
Congo DR - Houston - Houston Training Centre
Colombia - Guadalajara - Academia Atlas FC
Cabo Verde - Tampa - Waters Sportsplex
Croatia - Alexandria - Episcopal High School
Curacao - Boca Raton - Florida Atlantic University
Czechia - Dallas - Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium
Ecuador - Columbus - Columbus Crew Performance Centre
Egypt - Spokane - Gonzaga University
England - Kansas City - Swope Soccer Village
Spain - Chattanooga - Baylor School
France - Boston - Bentley University
Germany - Winston-Salem - Wake Forest University
Ghana - Boston - Bryant University
Haiti - New York New Jersey - Stockton University
IR Iran - Tijuana - Centro Xoloitzcuintle
Iraq - Greenbrier County - The Greenbrier Sports Performance Centre
Jordan - Portland - University of Portland
Japan - Nashville - Nashville SC
Korea Republic - Guadalajara - Chivas Verde Valle
Saudi Arabia - Austin - Austin FC Stadium
Morocco - New York New Jersey - The Pingry School
Mexico - Mexico City - Centro de Alto Rendimiento (CAR)
Netherlands - Kansas City - KC Current Training Facility
Norway - Greensboro - UNC Greensboro
New Zealand - San Diego - University of San Diego - Torero Stadium
Panama - New Tecumseth - Nottawasaga Training Site
Paraguay - San Francisco Bay Area - Spartan Soccer Complex
Portugal - Palm Beach Gardens - Gardens North County District Park
Qatar - Santa Barbara - Westmont College
South Africa - Pachuca - CF Pachuca - Universidad Del Futbol
Scotland - Charlotte - Charlotte FC
Senegal - New York New Jersey - Rutgers University
Switzerland - San Diego - SDJA
Sweden - Dallas - FC Dallas Stadium
Tunisia - Monterrey - Rayados Training Centre
Turkiye - Mesa - Arizona Athletic Grounds
Uruguay - Cancun - Mayakoba Training Centre Cancun
United States - Irvine - Great Park Sports Complex
Uzbekistan - Atlanta - Atlanta United Training Centre.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Kansas City is really the center of the universe for football this time! Argentina, England, Netherlands, Algeria all there. Meanwhile, I'm wondering when we'll see an Indian team pick a base camp in a World Cup. Our football development needs serious investment at the grassroots level.
Interesting that Iran chose Tijuana, Mexico as their base. Guess they wanted to stay close to the border. But seeing 48 teams now, the tournament is going to be chaotic! I just hope the hosts (USA, Canada, Mexico) can handle the logistics and security smoothly.
As a football fan in India, this is bittersweet. We see the world's best teams preparing in state-of-the-art facilities, while our own players struggle with basic infrastructure. The gap in development is huge. But credit to FIFA for spreading the base camps to smaller cities—makes the event more inclusive. 🏆
England in Kansas City? That's a bit random but I guess they want to stay away from the big city distractions. Meanwhile, Brazil picking NY/NJ makes sense—lots of Brazilian community there. But 48 teams is too many. The quality of the group stage will be diluted with weaker teams.
Honestly, I'm just happy for the smaller towns like Spokane and Greensboro getting global attention. These places will see a tourism boost and cultural exchange. But let's be real—the real issue is whether these base camps have sufficient security for teams from conflict zones like Iran, Iraq, etc. Hope FIFA has a plan. 🙏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.