The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost here!
Many of the world’s best male players will soon be arriving in the USA, Canada and Mexico to begin the 4-week tournament.
The likes of Lionel Messi (who’ll be aiming to repeat his World Cup success from 2022), Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal will take centre stage in what promises to be a captivating spectacle.
Of the 48 teams competing, no less than 14 of them will train at US universities during their time in North America, benefitting from the world class facilities and amenities on college campuses.
Here’s a look at where some of the teams will be heading…
Germany – Wake Forest University
Germany – Wake Forest University
European powerhouse and 4-time World Champions, Germany, will be headquartered in North Carolina. They will train at Spry Stadium, home of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons – a top tier NCAA Division 1 program competing in the ACC.
The Germans will be hoping they can progress from Group E and go far into the knockout stages. They may not be as strong as they have been in previous years, but with the likes of Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Bayern Munich duo, Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala, they are sure to be a contender!
Norway – University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Norway will be headquartered at UNCG
Joining the Germans in North Carolina will be the Norwegian continent, led by star striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal captain, Martin Ødegaard.
Norway will fine tune their tactics and game preparation at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro – another fine example of an outstanding college soccer facility. The Scandinavians will have a tough challenge emerging from Group I alongside favourites France, AFCON heavyweights Senegal and Iraq, who knocked out Bolivia in a playoff to book their place.
Senegal – Rutgers University
Rutgers University will play host to Senegal
Sticking with teams from Group I, Senegal will situate themselves in New Jersey and train at Rutgers University. After a contraversial AFCON campaign, the Senegalese will be looking to upset a number of teams this summer.
Premier League players Pape Matar Sarr and Idrissa Gueye, along with all-time top-scorer, Sadio Mane, will ensure they have some star quality to compete with the best!
Austria – University of California, Santa Barbara
Austria’s base will be the University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California will be home for the Austrian team during the World Cup. The squad will train at UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium, which holds 17,000!
The European’s will fancy their chances of progressing through the group stages. Defending champions, Argentina, are their toughest test, but they will be hoping to overcome the challenges of Algeria and Jordan to qualify from Group J.
Algeria – University of Kansas
Algeria will be based at the University of Kansas
After a 12-year absence, Algeria have once again qualified for the World Cup and feature, like Austria, in Group J.
Premier League fans will be familiar with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Riyad Mahrez, and those who keep a keen eye on football elsewhere in the world will know of Ismael Bennacer’s quality in midfield. The North African side will train at the University of Kansas’ state-of-the-art soccer facility.
Jordan will be situated in the Pacific Northwest at the University of Portland
The University of Portland’s Merlo Field will be used by Jordan in their very first appearance at a World Cup!
Despite being underdogs to emerge from the group stages, the asian side may well prove to be a surprise package and have every chance of causing an upset in Group J.
Curacao – Florida Atlantic University
Curacao will settle in among the palm trees of South Florida at FAU
The smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, Curacao have nothing to lose as they go up against heavyweight Group E opponents in Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Hailing from the southern Caribbean, they will be somewhat used to the heat and humidity of South Florida when they set up camp at Florida Atlantic University, situated in Boca Raton.
New Zealand – University of San Diego
New Zealand secure West Coast base at the University of San Diego
New Zealand will call the University of San Diego home for the entirety of the tournament. Torero Stadium holds approximately 6,000 fans.
The Kiwis will feature in Group G along with Belgium, Egypt and Iran, and will be quietly confident they can do what they’ve never managed previously which will be to qualify from the group stages.
Egypt – Gonzaga University
The Pharaohs head to Spokane, Washington!
Mo Salah and Egypt will be using the immaculate soccer facilities at Gonzaga University for their headquarters during their time across the Atlantic.
They will battle it out in Group G and look to see how far they can go in what will be their fourth appearance at the Men’s World Cup!
Other nations based at college facilities include France (Babson College, Massachusetts), Qatar (Westmont College, California), Haiti (Stockton University, New Jersey) and Paraguay (San Jose State University, California).
