IRVINE, Calif. -- The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 will stretch far beyond the tournament’s official host cities, with several Southern California communities set to welcome national teams after FIFA finalized Team Base Camp Training Sites for the expanded 48-team tournament.
While Los Angeles and the Bay Area are already preparing to host matches during the World Cup, cities across California will also become temporary homes for some of the world’s biggest soccer nations as teams train and live throughout the group stage of the tournament.
Among the most notable California selections, the United States national team will base itself in Irvine at the Great Park Sports Complex, giving Southern California another major role in the tournament beyond matches scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
San Diego will host two national teams, with New Zealand training at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium and Switzerland establishing its base at SDJA. The additional international presence is expected to bring fans, media members and economic activity to the region throughout the tournament.
Santa Barbara County will also be part of the World Cup footprint. Austria selected UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium in Goleta as its base camp, while Qatar will train at Westmont College in nearby Santa Barbara.
Northern California will play a major role as well. Australia will train in the San Francisco Bay Area at the Oakland Roots and Soul Training Facility, while Paraguay selected the Spartan Soccer Complex in the Bay Area.
FIFA announced that 25 communities outside the 16 official host cities will serve as homes for participating teams, broadening the reach and impact of the World Cup across North America.
“Team Base Camps are an integral part of the fabric of any FIFA World Cup,” FIFA World Cup 2026 chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi said in a statement. “They are where teams put down roots, train and recuperate, and experience the day-to-day rhythms of the tournament.”
The United States will host the majority of the participating nations, with 39 of the 48 teams selecting American training locations.
The announcement marks another major milestone for the largest World Cup in history, which will feature 48 teams for the first time and place an unprecedented spotlight on communities throughout California during the summer of 2026.