FIFA World Cup 2026™ Team Base Camp Training Sites footprint finalised

AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE

Another major organisational milestone has been reached on the road toward the game-changing FIFA World Cup 2026™, with the record 48 qualified teams finalising the selection of their Team Base Camp (TBC) Training Sites.

The 48 TBC Training Sites spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States will play a vital role for the participating nations as they get set to compete in the biggest FIFA World Cup™ ever. The world-class training facilities each team has selected will become their “home away from home”, and serve as the location where their players, coaches and staff will spend a significant portion of their time throughout the group stage.

The 48 TBC Training Sites are an important part of the FIFA World Cup’s impact, especially in communities that will not host matches. North America has an abundance of cities and towns that offer impressive infrastructure and convenient connections to the 16 Host Cities. The presence of the teams that train and stay in these communities – as well as the fans and media who follow them – will generate a significant socioeconomic boost while ensuring more people in more places feel the FIFA World Cup buzz.

“Team Base Camps are an integral part of the fabric of any FIFA World Cup™,” said Heimo Schirgi, Chief Operating Officer of the FIFA World Cup 2026. “They are where teams put down roots, train and recuperate, and experience the day-to-day rhythms of the tournament. Finalising the list of Team Base Camp Training Sites for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is especially exciting because of its unprecedented scale, which gives us the welcome and wonderful opportunity to involve even more communities and fans in this groundbreaking tournament.”

The TBC Training Site selection process was extensive and collaborative. It officially commenced in 2024 when a foundational list of elite options was provided to prospective qualifiers. That list was refined and enhanced throughout 2025. Following the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in early December 2025, the then 42 qualified teams began submitting their choices from among over 60 options based partly on the geographical zones where they will contest their group stage matches.

Colombia, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Mexico, South Africa, Tunisia and Uruguay are confirmed as the seven participating teams based in Mexico. Both Canada and Panama will have their TBC Training Site in Canada, with the remaining 39 teams located in the United States.

There will be 25 communities beyond the 16 Host Cities that will host national teams. They are New Tecumseth in Canada; Cancun, Pachuca and Tijuana in Mexico; and Alexandria, Austin, Boca Raton, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Columbus, Goleta, Greenbrier, Greensboro, Irvine, Mesa, Nashville, Palm Beach Gardens, Portland, Renton, San Diego, Sandy, Santa Barbara, Spokane, Tampa and Winston-Salem in the United States.

FIFA World Cup 2026™ Team Base Camp Training Sites: