World Football Sevens, a women’s 7v7 soccer event that debuted this year in Portugal, will move to the United States for its second event in December in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The W7F event will be December 5—7 at Beyond Bancard Field, home of the new Fort Lauderdale United FC. The 7v7 format features 15-minute halves and rolling substitutions.

“We’re thrilled to confirm our second World Sevens Football tournament will take place this December in Fort Lauderdale,” said Jennifer Mackesy, co-founder of W7F. “We can’t wait to welcome this new group of players to what we promise will be not just fun and competitive, but also financially rewarding.”

The inaugural event in Portugal featured Ajax, Bayern München, Benfica, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, and FC Rosengård. Bayern München claimed the championship and the majority of a $5 million prize pool, with the prize money split between clubs and players. The Fort Lauderdale event will also have a $5 million prize pool.

“With an average of 11 goals every 90 minutes of play and unforgettable moments on and off the pitch, we saw undeniable proof of concept,” Head of W7F Football Adrian Jacob said. “Now, we’re building on that momentum and in advanced conversations with some of the top clubs across the Americas, all truly eager to be part of World Sevens. This isn’t just a tournament—it’s a movement, this time in America, where women’s soccer has unprecedented momentum.”

The FIFA 2026 World Cup Draw will be held December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump announced Friday morning with FIFA President Gianni Infantino among those on hand.

The draw was held in Las Vegas the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994. While Las Vegas was for months expected to host the event — Mexican media and other American outlets reported a deal was done earlier this month — local sources told SportsTravel that no agreement was reached even as U.S. Soccer told host cities there would be a summit gathering the day before the draw and that it would be in Las Vegas.

SportsTravel had reported in the spring that Las Vegas was a leading candidate to host the draw; one Las Vegas property had more than 4,000 suites reserved for FIFA around the scheduled draw date. The rooms that FIFA had asked to be blocked off were released earlier this month after months of negotiations; those in Las Vegas who had been negotiating with FIFA received a generic email from the organization this morning informing them a different location had been chosen.

While Las Vegas has been widely expected to host the draw, the spector of Trump loomed throughout the process in large part due to the relationship between Infantino and Trump. Infantino has been seen with Trump more than a dozen times since the inauguration after not having one in-person meeting with the previous administration.

Infantino visited Trump in the Oval Office in March after a White House Task Force for the World Cup was announced and was at the first meeting of the group in May, where there was reaction to multiple mentions about the potential of visitors overstaying their welcome. Infantino also delayed his arrival at May’s annual FIFA Congress, held in Paraguay, to join Trump on a trip to Saudi Arabia, where the 2034 World Cup will be held. Infantino’s late arrival on private jet flights from Qatar forced FIFA’s annual meeting to start more than three hours late and led to a mid-meeting walkout in protest by senior officials from European soccer body UEFA at the “deeply regrettable” delay.

FIFA has opened an office at Trump Tower in New York City and the family was part of the Club World Cup draw. When Chelsea won the Club World Cup title, there were reports that the trophy the club was given was a replica of the original still in Trump’s possession. Trump helped Infantino present the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James, with Trump staying front and center despite confusion of Chelsea players and pleading of Infantino to move to the side of the stage.

FIFA’s official announcement about the draw says it will be held at noon local time, which also puts it in a prime-time TV position for its European broadcast partners.

New Approach for the Draw

The draw will be the first FIFA 2026-related event not to be at a host city. The host cities announcement was made from a TV studio in New York before the logo was revealed in Los Angeles. When the schedule was released and New York/New Jersey was awarded the final, Infantino made the announcement from a TV studio in Miami.

The 2026 World Cup starts June 11, 2026, at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and will be FIFA’s biggest ever with 48 teams and 104 matches in 16 cities. The U.S. host cities will be Atlanta, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, New York/New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia and Miami. In Canada, Vancouver and Toronto were selected. In Mexico, matches will be played in Monterrey, Mexico City and Guadalajara.

The draw will finalize the groups and give countries the chance to know where they will play in the group stage as well as their potential knockout round paths. After the draw, countries will begin the process of selecting base camps from the 62 options around North America. Teams will submit their selections for base camps, with selection order based on a team’s world ranking.

Host country sites for the group stage have been decided; the U.S. will have two games in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. Should it finish first in its group, the U.S. would have a round of 32 game in San Francisco, then potentially a round of 16 game in Seattle and quarterfinal in Los Angeles. If the U.S. finishes second in its group, its knockout-round path would start in the round of 32 in Dallas, followed by potentially a round of 16 game in Atlanta and quarterfinal in Kansas City.

Along with the three co-hosts, countries that already qualified for the 2026 World Cup are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and Uzbekistan. While the draw will be in December, there will be two spots not yet determined when it is made; the final six-country, inter-confederation playoff will not be held until March 2026 and is due to be held in one of the three host nations as a test event.

Plans to expand Villa Park, the home of Premier League club Aston Villa since 1897, is on the verge of being approved by local city council with the target of being ready to potentially host matches as part of the 2028 European Championships.

Birmingham City Council’s planning committee will gather August 28, reported The Athletic, with a view to voting on redevelopment plans to increase the number of seats available in the North Stand to more than 12,000. Villa Park currently holds 42,640 spectators and is the 11th largest stadium in England.

“Once operational, the project will contribute an estimated £119.9m to the West Midlands economy each year, creating hundreds of jobs during and post-construction, and attracting 1.65m visitors to the local area annually,” Aston Villa said in a section on the club website about Villa Park’s future.

Villa has been aiming for the redevelopment to be completed in the second half of 2027 ahead of the Euro 2028. This is so that the stadium is ready for UEFA Euro 2028, which it is due to be a host venue for.

The Athletic said it has seen draft papers with details of the application and that “it has been recommended for approval by council planners and, therefore, work on extending the North Stand should be authorized.”

Villa has long planned to update the venue. Planning permission was secured in December 2022 before the project was postponed in 2023. The Athletic’s story said the planning application includes research on how fans get to Villa Park with 59% by car, 30% on train and 3% via bus.

“We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the elements of the project which Aston Villa does not control, such as transport system and infrastructure works, are prioritized to ensure the best outcome for our fans, the local community, the city and the wider region,” the club said on its website.

Villa Park has hosted 55 FA Cup semifinals, more than any other stadium. It hosted three matches in the 1966 World Cup won by England and four matches during Euro ’96 along with the 1999 European Cup Winners’ Cup (now known as the Europa League) and 2012 Community Shield.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have announced a planned expansion to the South Shore stadium of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Riveters that would see capacity increase to 15,000 with more premium seating areas, a club with banquet space and suite options.

The expansion positions the Riverhounds to meet U.S. Soccer’s Pro League Standards requiring a capacity of 15,000 for Division One sanctioning. Earlier this year, the United Soccer League announced plans to launch a Division One men’s league competing at the top tier of the sport in the United States with a 2028 launch date. The USL is currently in the process of reviewing applications from clubs interested in its Division One league.

“Since 2014, we have invested significant capital and effort into this stadium and growing soccer around the area. Now, we have a major opportunity to continue that growth,” said Riverhounds Owner Tuffy Shallenberger. “This expansion is going be great for our fans and allow us to take our teams to the level we want to reach, but it’s also going to bring additional events here that will help the entire Pittsburgh community. We’re excited to start and take this next step forward.”

The stadium is currently home for six NCAA varsity teams between soccer and lacrosse. The Riverhounds have hosted numerous events including the annual WPIAL Soccer Championships, the 2018 NCAA Division II Soccer Championships and already has been selected to host the 2027 NCAA Division III Soccer Championships.

“The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are committed to the continued growth of our sport and our stadium,” said Shallenberger. “This community, all around Western Pennsylvania, has supported our team for a long time, and we want to keep getting bigger and better to make them proud.”

There will be matches and they will be massive, drawing tens of thousands to stadiums and millions upon millions watching around the world. For the cities and regions that are hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup games in the United States, that is only part of what the impact should be for the month-plus tournament.

“Those who will have tickets will have the experience of the match,” said Dan Corso, Atlanta Host Committee president. “For those who don’t have a ticket, that’s where the cities and host committees ask how do we show off a bit and create experiences for these visitors who may not have been to our city or have not been there in quite a while.”

That’s where the host committees, working with tourism bureaus and sports commissions, will look to leverage the event further. While fans will want to come for a game, the question then becomes: How can we keep them here longer and help our businesses?

“We have eight matches in downtown Atlanta, but all of Georgia is going to be hosting it,” Corso said. “We can drive tourism to the different markets, but we also see this as an economic development play. We’re going to have companies from all over the world coming in to follow their nation and watch their nations play in our city, and here’s a chance for us to talk to about why Georgia is the number one state to do business for 11 years running.”

‘Foreign Trade Mission at Home’

That philosophy carries throughout each U.S. host city.

“We’re the gateway to the Americas, the Caribbean,” said Alina Hudak, Miami Host Committee president and CEO. “It’s not just that we’re the gateway to the Americas, it’s who we are in terms of our residents. We have a huge European base as well and we are extremely international when we come to art. We think this is an opportunity to showcase who we are internationally.”

Kansas City is in the position of being the only host city that’s in the middle of the United States, leaving a potentially large opportunity to be leveraged.

“It is important for us to think about all the people who live in the region,” said Pam Kramer, Kansas City’s Host Committee CEO. “We feel like we’re representing the middle of the country. It’s remarkable the joy that’s coming with those fans, so creating a relationship between the people of our communities and those fans is important.”

International activations will also be key. Kansas City opened a new airport in 2023 that has been positively reviewed by travelers.

“This is a foreign trade mission at home,” Kramer said. “This is a chance to raise our brand profile.”

‘A Massive Opportunity’

Of the 104 matches in next summer’s World Cup, 27 will be in the East Region. With the proximity and ease of transport between Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey, that leaves those host committees planning for more than activations and economic opportunities within their destinations. They are also promoting the chance to see multiple matches in a tight geographic footprint.

“It’s just a massive opportunity for us,” said Alex Lasry, New York/New Jersey Host Committee CEO. “The fact that they can go to three host cities so seamlessly is a huge opportunity for us to bring even more people into our region, to bring even more people to experience all that we have to offer.”

New York/New Jersey will host eight matches including the final. Lasry envisions fans being able to take time between games to visit not only New Jersey and where the “Sopranos” was filmed, but New York City and even Niagara Falls or Buffalo further afield.

“There’s going to be 30 days where matches aren’t going on and that is an opportunity for other cities to recruit and advertise and to bring people to come visit,” Lasry said. “And that’s something that we talk to cities, mayors, tourism bureaus from all across the region about is what can we do to make sure that we’re putting city guides on our websites. We want to make sure that we’re promoting bars, restaurants, historic sites, et cetera, all across the state.”

The proximity for Boston, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey in particular is even semi-relatable to one of the biggest pieces of praise for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — the ability to get to multiple matches easily. While there may not be multiple matches in a day like in Qatar, from a traveler’s perspective you could see a group stage match in Philadelphia on June 25, head to Boston on June 26, then go to New York/New Jersey on June 27.

“There’s really only one area without getting on an airplane that that is possible and that’s the Northeast corridor,” said Philadelphia Host City Executive Meg Kane. “Fans want to collect the experiences. They want the three posters, they want the three scarves — whatever it is. So we’re really trying to be expansive in that thinking.”

Host regions are banking on the impact of the games lasting beyond the result.

“I had the pleasure of hearing about one retirement home that was just redoing their community center,” said Mike Loynd, CEO of the Boston Host Committee that will host seven matches including a quarterfinal. “The idea was that the residents of that retirement home would just have a special moment for themselves at the World Cup. We can’t provide tickets for everyone and that’s not really our role in this, but we can provide special moments and viewing opportunities for residents that is really something special to remember.”

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will look like none other. With 48 countries participating and matches spread over three countries, the biggest event in the competition’s history will also be at U.S. stadiums that will look different for the football fans familiar with their layouts.

Natural grass will be installed at all the sites, whose venues will be named for the host city instead of its corporate name per FIFA statues. Each of the stadiums will be “clean” in FIFA parlance, which means stripped of its corporate branding.

Security measures will also be in place with “last mile” perimeters to avoid any repeats of the crowd trouble that marred the final of last summer’s Copa America in Miami, where fans pushed their way through security to get into the venue. Those new measures may impact several stadiums, including Seattle World Cup Stadium, aka Lumen Field, that are in downtown locations with plenty of surrounding apartments and businesses.

“I actually live a block from the stadium, so I’m invested in this planning effort both as a World Cup organizer and as a resident who will be impacted every day, particularly on match days,” said April Putney, Seattle Host Committee chief strategy officer.

Putney said Seattle organizers are working with the stadium and FIFA to define safe perimeters for match days compared to non-match days.

“It’s really like, what will the resident access look like? Where will they walk their dog? Important things like that,” Putney said. “Most of the folks, they live next to the stadium. They work next to the stadium. They’re used to the impact. And so we do a comparison of what’s it like compared to a normal Seahawks game when we have a full stadium already. And then we’ll go back through and do individual one-on-one conversations with any of the businesses or residential areas that are particularly impacted to make sure we have complete clarity and address their concerns.”

While it’s called the “last mile” security perimeter, that does not mean it will be an exact mile in size. Instead, the phrase refers to the part of the fan journey from where they get to the stadium area via public transport and through security checks.

“That’s part of what we’re working on with our safety and security teams, with FIFA — what will those perimeters look like?” said Philadelphia Host City Executive Meg Kane, whose city will host matches at Philadelphia World Cup Stadium (aka Lincoln Financial Field) in an area near two other sports venues. “There is a lot of real estate that we can operate within, because on match day, the only thing that can happen is match day. So we’re working closely with the Phillies and Wells Fargo Center, with the city, with SEPTA, on all of these things.”

There was concern — much of it overstated given it was not a FIFA event and had much different organizational setups — when the Copa America final in Miami last summer between Argentina and Colombia was delayed because of fan trouble outside of Hard Rock Stadium. Such a situation will not happen again at Miami World Cup Stadium, said Alina Hudak, Host Committee president and CEO.

“(The Miami Dade sheriff’s office) has done an extensive review of the after action reports related to that in collaboration with the stadium,” Hudak said. “All of the things that happened are, in fact, being reviewed and addressed, and I can assure you that everything is being done within our power to make sure that the appropriate measures are being put in place in the appropriate perimeters. FIFA is very cognizant as well and FIFA security is very involved in the planning efforts.”

Preparing for Natural Grass

Another issue is how the stadiums will look when fans arrive to the games. While each U.S. stadium is known for its massive signage for corporate sponsors, FIFA statues require those marks be covered for the World Cup. In some cases, that may result in some of biggest drapes perhaps ever tailored.

“FIFA’s going to come in with its own branding plan,” Houston Host Committee President Chris Canetti said of NRG Stadium, aka Houston World Cup Stadium. “They’ve already sent all their experts in, measured every square inch of the stadium. They’ve come back to us with a preliminary plan — this is what they’re going to cover. So now we have to go in and say, OK, while FIFA is doing that piece, what’s left for our piece?”

Houston is one of several stadiums that also will need to have natural grass installed. Instead of having the grass overlaying the artificial turf surface, as is the case with many international friendlies and other tournaments, FIFA is demanding that it be installed. That leaves those stadiums even less time to plan.

“We start building the pitch on May 1 next year,” said Canetti, who added all of Houston’s games will be played with the roof closed for heat reasons. “This is all subject to change, (but) there’s a period where we’re going to be putting everything in place so that 20 days ahead of the first match, the sod gets rolled and it gets stitched. Then there’s about a 20-day period for it to come together and by the time the first match is there, it looks like it’s been there forever.”

For all of the logistics that come with hosting matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the biggest one for all of the U.S. host cities is this: How to get fans to the games.

Internationally, the ability to take mass transit to games is the tradition. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, fans used transit almost entirely to go from stadium to stadium. Few cars were used. But as anyone in the U.S. knows, sports fandom is a car culture that includes tailgating before events at football stadiums. While some cities have mass transit options, others have to create them for next summer.

“Communication with our residents is a huge piece of it,” said Pam Kramer, Kansas City Host Committee CEO. “Not only for the stadium piece and how they’ll get there, but actually that the number of parking spaces is going to be greatly reduced because of the overlay that FIFA has. So how we get them to try public transit and know that they’re going to have to take a bus — it’s going to require a massive communication effort.”

KC2026 in March signed a lease for 200 buses to be used during the tournament. The KC2026 bus system will complement existing bus routes on both sides of the state line, transporting people to matches, the FIFA Fan Festival, Kansas City International Airport, hotel centers and more. Kramer said there may be some events such as Chiefs games this fall where the system has a trial run.

“We have an opportunity to build a blueprint for a regional transit in our area,” she said, saying what could be a two-hour trip from KC to Olathe, Kansas, may be as quick as 30 minutes with the FIFA transit system setup. “If we can show that public transit is clean, safe, reliable and enjoyable, we think there is an opportunity to get people to try it, to support it and then to leave this legacy.”

The education part for the local community will be key for all markets, said Metro Atlanta Chamber President Katie Kirkpatrick, whose city has 14,000 hotel rooms within a mile of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium site (which during the World Cup will be known as Atlanta World Cup Stadium).

“When you think about arriving to the host city, we’ve got the best airport in the world, we have a wonderful transit system that has its direct access from the airport to downtown to the sports campus,” she said. “Education is always important, but the routes that your locals take to get to games is pretty similar to what our international visitors will experience as well. A lot of our local fans take Marta, which is our rapid transit system in Atlanta, or they take rideshare or they bike sometimes.

“Education will be really key when we talk about traffic patterns and that may change a little bit based on security perimeters and clean zones and those types of things,” Kirkpatrick said. “I feel very confident that the city of Atlanta will be able to educate the local community about access and importantly, because a lot of the local fans may not have access to a game. We want them to enjoy Fan Fest. We want an incredible fan experience, whether or not you’re inside the stadium or out, and it’s easily accessible because it’s right there next to the stadium.”

The final at MetLife Stadium will be one of the biggest tests for the transit system surrounding the East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium. The mass transit reviews were harsh when it hosted the Super Bowl more than a decade ago; those surrounding the area project more confidence in the system now after a series of Taylor Swift concerts over Memorial Day Weekend.

“This isn’t the first sporting event for New York/New Jersey, this isn’t going to be the last major sporting event for New York/New Jersey,” said Alex Lasry, New York/New Jersey Host Committee CEO. “There’s not an event that New York/New Jersey hasn’t seen, and Governors Hochul and Murphy, Mayor Adams, have all been incredible partners throughout this entire planning event so I have the utmost confidence in the world in the professionals that we have running transportation, security and all the agencies, that this is going to be a seamless event.”

The Premier League’s 11th Premier League Mornings Live Fan Festival will be held in Kansas City on September 20 and 21 with broadcasts of NBC content at KC Live! in the Kansas City Power & Light District.

The two-day fan festival, supported by Visit KC and the Power & Light District, will give fans the chance to watch live broadcasts of all 10 Premier League matches alongside fellow supporters.

“We look forward to bringing soccer fans from across the world together in the Heart of America for an unforgettable weekend, celebrating one of the most iconic sports leagues in the world,” said Kathy Nelson, president and chief executive officer of Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission. “Kansas City is known for its dedicated soccer fandom, which continues to reach new levels as we prepare to welcome even more international soccer events in the years to come.”

Fans attending the Fan Festival will see NBC Sports’ studio team of host Rebecca Lowe and analysts Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe and Tim Howard broadcast live. It will also feature the Premier League Trophy, a range of family activities, club mascots and appearances from special guests and Premier League club legends.

“We are thrilled to bring our 11th Premier League Mornings Live Fan Festival to Kansas City, a Midwest beacon which boasts an incredible soccer culture,” said Akash Jain, Premier League U.S. managing director. “We look forward to working with Visit KC and the Power & Light District, to build on that momentum and provide our fans in the U.S. with another incredible celebration of all things soccer, this time in the heart of Kansas City.”

As anticipation started to build with the one-year countdown in June and continuing this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there is something that nobody has been able to do just yet — promote the teams that will be playing in group stage matches, because the draw has not been made.

That has left most North American host cities in limbo to promote their games because they don’t know which teams will come, with the exception of Los Angeles and Seattle, which know they will host group stage games for the United States, plus Mexico and Canada’s national team game sites.

“I cannot wait for the draw,” said Zaileen Janmohamed, Bay Area Host Committee president and CEO. “I can’t wait because I’m a soccer fan, so I want to know (and) my kids are asking me every day, ‘Who’s playing here, mom?’”

While the draw is widely expected to be held in Las Vegas — SportsTravel reported the city was a leading candidate to host this spring — no final decision has been made. Industry sources say those in Vegas are waiting for further details from FIFA. Host cities, meanwhile, have had full international marketing campaigns ready to go for months but still don’t know what languages they have to be translated to before they are sent.

“I think anybody’s going to be impatient when they’re interested to see who they’re welcoming from around the world, right?” said Katie Kirkpatrick, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We’d all like it to be tomorrow. But we’re very comfortable that December will bring us an incredible suite of teams to Atlanta.”

The draw will allow cities to increase their operational procedures to promote themselves to potential incoming fan bases but also finalize plans for security, airport planning, activation events and more.

“If I get a Brazil, if I get an Argentina, if I get an England, if I get a Japan, that changes the dynamic on how we plan from an operational perspective,” Janmohamed said. “And then how I plan from a community engagement perspective? The Bay Area is actually super diverse. So depending on the team that’s coming in, I can actually have a specific activation or a watch party in a market where it’s very relevant.”

But until then, the cities continue to wait.

“Once we get the draw and a better sense of who’s coming, that allows us to activate certain communities, allows us to go talk to potential partners abroad, allows us to really start advertising abroad,” said Alex Lasry, New York/New Jersey Host Committee CEO. “Would it make things easier if it was earlier? Sure, but we know the process. We know when it is. We’re fully ready to plan and execute the second we learn who’s playing here.”

For each of the 11 U.S. host cities ahead of next summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, anticipation is building toward the matches, the economic impact, the worldwide tourism and the upcoming draw to determine which teams will come to town.

But dozens of other destinations could see one or more of the 48 national teams use their areas for base camps to train and stay throughout the tournament as well.

A total of 62 options are available across three countries with the vast majority of them in the United States. Once the draw is announced, national teams will be able to review the list and select one of those options as their home base.

Some regions have more potential base camp options than others. The Dallas area, for example, has six base camp options.

“Base camps from the beginning was a key factor for us,” said Monica Paul, president of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee. “Knowing that you have the ability to have teams come five, 10, 15 days prior to the World Cup, to really make those cities and communities home — some have bigger traveling parties than others, but I think it’s a great way to involve as many of our regional cities as possible, as well as the economic impact that goes along with it.”

In the Atlanta region, available sites for countries include the Atlanta United Training Center and Kennesaw State University.

“We love the idea of Atlanta serving as a centerpiece for either the southeast region or quite honestly, for the whole U.S. and North America, because of the reach of our airport,” Metro Atlanta Chamber President Katie Kirkpatrick said.

Each of the training sites in the FIFA Brochure also includes a partner hotel where the team parties would stay. There is also the added potential of a country’s fans staying near wherever the team’s base camp is located, another attraction for Atlanta.

“We want fans to base camp in Atlanta,” Kirkpatrick said. “Whether or not your team is going to be playing at Atlanta Stadium, as it will be called, we want them to enjoy what the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta has to offer while they may be going to other places. We believe we are positioned in such a way that you can access North America from Atlanta and stay and enjoy what we have to offer.”

Kansas City is the sole Midwest host city, which could bring locational advantages for the two KC base camp options as well as two in St. Louis, where fans could to stay in the region and then travel to the South and East regions for games.

“One of the strengths of our bid was our facilities in that they already existed,” said Pam Kramer, the Kansas City Host Committee CEO. “Our facilities are second to none, and our facility owners are terrific operators.”

Then there is the affirmation that investing in these training facilities for local Major League Soccer clubs has provided an additional benefit to the community. The Philadelphia region has a base camp option in Atlantic City but also the Philadelphia Union’s training facility in Chester, which along with the stadium has been part of a broader local investment.

“The Philadelphia Union have been an incredible partner in our work around FIFA World Cup,” said Philadelphia Host City Executive Meg Kane. “What that ownership group has built, what Tim McDermott and Dave DeBusschere deliver in a fan experience at Subaru Park, is incredible. I would be over the moon delighted if Subaru Park was selected as team base camp. I think the more soccer that’s happening, the better. The more people can feel it, the better.”

FIFA World Cup 26 Available Team Base Camps

City, Training Site, Paired Hotel
Alexandria, Virginia: Episcopal High School, Hotel AKA, Alexandria
Atlanta: Atlanta United Training Centre, JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead
Atlanta: Kennesaw State University, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
Atlantic City, New Jersey: Stockton University, Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel
Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Legion FC Training Facility, Hyatt Regency, The Wynfrey
Boca Raton, Florida: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center
Boise, Idaho: Boise State University, To Be Determined
Chapel Hill, North Carolina: UNC Chapel Hill, Sheraton Chapel Hill
Chattanooga, Tennessee: Baylor School, The Read House
Cincinnati: FC Cincinnati, Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel
Colorado Springs, Colorado: US Air Force Academy, Hotel Polaris at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina, Marriott Columbia
Columbus, Ohio: Columbus Crew Performance Centre, Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph
Dallas: Dallas Baptist University, 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
Dallas-Mansfield: Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium, Hilton Garden Dallas-Arlington South
Detroit: Oakland University, Detroit Marriott Troy
Greenbrier County, West Virginia: The Greenbrier Sports Performance Center, Greenbrier Resort
Greensboro, North Carolina: UNC Greensboro, Grandover Resort & Spa, A Wyndham Grand Hotel
Guadalajara, Mexico: Academia Atlas FC, Grand Fiesta Americana Country Club
Guadalajara, Mexico: Chivas Verde Valle, Hard Rock Hotel Guadalajara
Herriman, Utah: RSL Training Centre, RSL Training Academy Residence
High Point, North Carolina: Carolina Core Elite Performance Centre, Kimpton Cardinal
Houston: Houston Sports Park, Omni Houston Hotel
Irvine, California: 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
Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University, To Be Determined
Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas, Stonehill Lawrence, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Louisville: Louisville City, Omni Louisville Hotel
Macon, Georgia: Mercer University, Macon Marriott City Center
Mesa, Arizona: Arizona Athletic Grounds, Courtyard Mesa at Wrigleyville West
Mexico City: Centro de Alto Rendimiento (CAR), On-site accommodation (CAR)
Mexico City: La Nueva Casa del Futbol – Toluca, DoubleTree by Hilton Toluca
Monterrey, Mexico: Rayados Training Centre, The Westin Monterrey Valle
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Coastal Carolina University, The Ellie Beach Resort
New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University, Delta Hotels Somerset
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: OKC Professional Soccer Training Facility, Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma, Renaissance Oklahoma City Downtown Bricktown Hotel
Orlando, Florida: Orlando City SC Training Grounds at Osceola Heritage Park, Lake Nona Wave Hotel
Pachuca, Mexico: CF Pachuca – Estadio Hidalgo, Fiesta Inn Pachuca Gran Patio
Pachuca, Mexico: CF Pachuca – Universidad Del Futbol, Camino Real Pachuca
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida: Gardens North County District Park, PGA National Resort
Philadelphia: Philadelphia Union, Hotel Du Pont
Portland, Oregon: University of Portland, The Nines Hotel
Port St. Lucie, Florida: RPS Soccer Academy, Sandpiper Bay Resort
Queretaro, Mexico: La Loma Centro Deportivo Queretaro, Hacienda Jurica by Brisa
Renton, Washington: Seattle Sounders FC Performance Centre and Clubhouse, Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport
San Antonio, Texas: San Antonio Stadium, Kimpton Santo Hotel
Santa Barbara, California: UC Santa Barbara Harder Stadium, To Be Determined
Santa Barbara, California: Westmont College, To Be Determined
State College, Pennsylvania: Penn State University, The Penn Stater Hotel
Spokane, Washington: 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, Florida: Waters Sportsplex, Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
Tucson, Arizona: Kino Sports Complex, Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa
Torreón, Mexico: Club Santos Facilities, Hotel Azul Talavera Country Club
Westfield, Indiana: Grand Park Sports Campus, Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel