FIFA announced the initial list of potential “Team Base Camps” for the 2026 World Cup.
In November 2024, 26 more potential sites were added, bringing the total to 49.
More locations will be announced in the next 18 months to accommodate the 48 teams (though, wouldn’t it be fun if teams had to share a spot with one other team?). This page will be updated as more is announced and will add visual maps like we did for 2022 and 2023.
One of our favorite ever World Cup memories is being able to watch the Dutch team practice from our apartment window in Leblon area of Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
Non-Host Cities Included
Notably, nine cities outside the host cities are included as potential base camps in the first release: Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Irvine, Louisville, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and Westfield (Indianapolis).
With the 2nd release in November, nearly all the included options were outside the host cities. Some are within a short distance of a host city (e.g. Macon is only 85 miles south of Atlanta).
Why would a team stay outside a host city for a base camp?
From a team perspective, they’ll have to travel regardless for matches so they may wish to remove themselves from the commotion of a host city. Previous tournaments saw different strategies where some teams try to isolate themselves as much as possible where others want the players and staff to feel the excitement of the moment.
Playing host to a participating team also enables more fans across the host nations to feel more connected. With 48 teams, there’s plenty of opportunity for fans not located near a host city to see their favorite players.
When Are Team Camps Finalized?
Teams will choose their final base camp locations after the Final Draw in late 2025, where they will learn the geographic zones for their group matches.
Cities Can Still Submit Their Facilities for Consideration
FIFA is open to expressions of interest from other cities and towns to propose facilities as potential team base camps.
Previously, we were surprised more college towns weren’t include in the list. Now, we are starting to see these options arise. It would make complete sense for a team to adopt one of these options. College towns offer a strong community vibe while also boasting world class facilities.
Insights
- Salt Lake city is the furthest base camp away from any host city based on distance. This location offers a serene U.S. getaway with easy flights to West and Central Region matches.
- Chattanooga is not that far removed from Atlanta. It’s a 90-minute drive to the Host City, with an airport enabling quick travel for teams.
- Green Bay offers a unique training camp experience at the iconic NFL grounds of the Green Bay Packers. Any team staying here would likely gain support of the local community.
- Here’s one that warrants a 🤯. Alexandria, Virginia has a high school – Episcopal High School – as an option for teams to train at during a World Cup. That’s right – a high school. I hope those kids can let that marinate in their consciousness for a minute.
- Dallas has 5 base camp options so far, easily the city/metro area with the most.
- I’m surprised that there aren’t more options in the northeast. Whomever plays in that region will have very little travel for teams.
It will be interesting to see what other cities are added as options through December 2025 and what gets selected.
Current List of Team Base Camp Potentials
This will be updated as we learn more and then edited once all Team Camps are signed.
| City | Training Site | Paired Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | Episcopal High School | Hotel AKA, Alexandria |
| Atlanta | Atlanta United Training Centre | JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead |
| Atlanta | Kennesaw State University | InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta |
| Birmingham | Birmingham Legion FC Training Facility | Hyatt Regency, The Wynfrey |
| Boise | Boise State University | To Be Determined |
| Chapel Hill | UNC Chapel Hill | Sheraton Chapel Hill |
| Chattanooga | Baylor School | The Read House |
| Cincinnati | FC Cincinnati | Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel |
| Colorado Springs | US Air Force Academy | Hotel Polaris at the U.S. Air Force Academy |
| Columbia | University of South Carolina | Marriott Columbia |
| Columbus | Columbus Crew Performance Centre | Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph |
| Dallas | DBU | Westin Dallas Downtown |
| Dallas | FC Dallas Stadium | Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West |
| Dallas | University of Dallas | Omni Las Colinas Hotel |
| Dallas-Denton | University of North Texas | Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | TCU | Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel |
| Greater Lansing | Michigan State University | To Be Determined |
| Green Bay | Lambeau Field | Lodge Kohler |
| Greensboro | UNC Greensboro | Grandover Resort & Spa, A Wyndham Grand Hotel |
| Guadalajara | Chivas Verde Valle | Hard Rock Hotel Guadalajara |
| Herriman | RSL Training Centre | RSL Training Academy Residence |
| High Point | Carolina Core Elite Performance Centre | Kimpton Cardinal |
| Houston | Houston Sports Park | Omni Houston Hotel |
| Indianapolis-Westfield | Grand Park Sports Campus | Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel |
| Irvine | Great Park Sports Complex | Marriott Irvine Spectrum |
| Kansas City | KC Current Training Facility | Hotel Kansas City – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt |
| Kansas City | Sporting KC Training Centre | Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center |
| Kansas City | University of Kansas | Stonehill Lawrence, Trademark Collection by Wyndham |
| Louisville | Louisville City | Omni Louisville Hotel |
| Macon | Mercer University | Macon Marriott City Center |
| Mesa | Arizona Athletic Grounds | Courtyard Mesa at Wrigleyville West |
| Metro Detroit | Oakland University | Detroit Marriott Troy |
| Mexico City | Centro de Alto Rendimiento (CAR) | On-site accommodation (CAR) |
| Mexico City | La Nueva Casa del Futbol – Toluca | DoubleTree by Hilton Toluca |
| Monterrey | Rayados Training Centre | The Westin Monterrey Valle |
| New York New Jersey | Stockton University | Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel |
| Orlando | Orlando City SC Training Grounds | Lake Nona Wave Hotel |
| Pachuca | CF Pachuca – Estadio Hidalgo | Fiesta Inn Pachuca Gran Patio |
| Pachuca | CF Pachuca – Universidad Del Futbol | Camino Real Pachuca |
| Palm Beach Gardens | Gardens North County District Park | To Be Determined |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia Union | Hotel Du Pont |
| Port St. Lucie | RPS Soccer Academy | Sandpiper Bay Resort |
| Renton | Seattle Sounders FC Performance Centre | Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport |
| San Antonio | San Antonio Stadium | Kimpton Santo Hotel |
| Spokane | Gonzaga University | To Be Determined |
| St. Louis | St. Louis CITY High Performance Centre | The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis |
| St. Louis | Saint Louis University | Magnolia Hotel St. Louis |
| Tampa | Waters Sportsplex | Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay |
| Tucson | Kino Sports Complex | Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa |
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