With a bigger scope and a clear schedule for teams and host countries, the 2026 World Cup is sure to be a historic event. The first version of FIFA’s online Team Base Camp brochure came out not long ago. In this way, they gave us a first look at the possible training spots.

They have also added the following:

With a bigger scope and a clear schedule for teams and host countries, the 2026 World Cup is sure to be a historic event. The first version of FIFA’s online Team Base Camp brochure came out not long ago. In this way, they gave us a first look at the possible training spots. They have also included the places where the 48 teams that are competing will stay while they train.

FIFA has also put a more detailed schedule of games. This shows the possible routes that host countries Canada, Mexico, and the USA could take to get to the final.

In the first version of the Team Base Camp guide, there are 24 great places for teams to set up camp. These places are very important because they are where teams will start their trips to their first three games. All of the players, workers, and officials will spend most of their time there during the group stage.

Adding to the World Cup experience

Adding places other than the main Host places as possible Team Base Camps is a smart way to make the World Cup’s impact bigger. These cities will be very important to the tournament even though they won’t be holding any games. They will be housing teams and getting people involved in their communities.

Cities and towns in all three host countries have been asked by FIFA to offer their sites as possible Team Base Camps. Reports say they will take statements of interest and plan to make changes to the brochure all through 2024 and 2025.

This list will get longer over the next 18 months. Because of this, it’s possible that more options from Canada, Mexico, and the US will be added, giving teams a lot of options to choose from. Once the Final Draw for the World Cup is over, which should happen in late 2025, FIFA will make the final choice.

2026 World Cup Base camps for teams and host routes are shown
2026 World Cup Base camps for teams and host routes are shown

There are nine cities besides the 16 official Host Cities that have been considered as possible places for Team Base Camp. These are Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Irvine, Louisville, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and Westfield.

The USA learns how to host the 2026 World Cup

The thorough match schedule makes it easy to see how the host countries could win the tournament. The USMNT’s trip starts with group games in Los Angeles on June 12, Seattle on June 19, and again in Los Angeles on June 25. Depending on how they did in the Group Stage, the US team will play different teams in their next games:

  • Round of 32: Bay Area on July 1
  • Round of 16: Seattle on July 6
  • Quarter-finals: Los Angeles on July 10
  • Semi-finals: Dallas area on July 14

If USMNT finishes second in Group D:

  • Round of 32: Dallas on July 3
  • Round of 16: Atlanta on July 7
  • Quarter-finals: Kansas City on July 11
  • Semi-finals: Atlanta on July 15

The third-place finishers in Group D might have different paths to follow based on how the other groups do. This includes possible games in Philadelphia, Foxborough, Kansas City, or even Vancouver, which is across the border.

The news is sad for fans in the area. There is a small chance that the USA will play in Philadelphia, which is set to host a number of important games, including a round-of-16 game on Independence Day. The US team will probably play most of its games on the West Coast. This makes it less likely that they will play on the East Coast unless they make it to the final or third-place game.