What Is a FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp and How Are They Selected?
Wednesday, April 15
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest in tournament history, with 48 teams competing across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For fans, the match stadiums are the center of the action. For teams, the real work happens somewhere else: at their Team Base Camp.
Not every city that plays a role in a World Cup hosts a match. Some host the daily preparation, training, and recovery that determine how a team performs on game day.
What Is a FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp?
A FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp is the official training site and accommodation pairing that serves as a national team’s primary base during the group stage. Each of the 48 teams selects a base camp where players and staff train, rest, recover, and prepare for matches.
How a Base Camp Functions
The base camp is where the team returns between matches. While games may be played in different cities, the base camp stays constant throughout the group stage. Players use the training facility for daily practice, tactical preparation, and recovery. Staff use the paired hotel for meetings, medical treatment, and rest.
What a Base Camp Is Not
A base camp is not a match venue. No tournament games are played at base camp locations. For the cities that earn one, the value is in international recognition, economic impact, and the credential the designation carries for the venue.
How FIFA Selects Team Base Camps
The selection process involves multiple rounds of evaluation driven by FIFA’s operational standards and each team’s strategic preferences.
The Application Process
FIFA opened applications for Team Base Camp proposals in early 2023. Approved locations were published in the Team Base Camp brochure, updated in multiple editions through 2025. The third edition brought the total to more than 60 approved options across North America.
How Teams Make Final Selections
After the Final Draw on December 5, 2025, teams submitted their preferences to FIFA. The draw established geographic zones for group stage matches, directly influencing decisions. Teams with higher FIFA World Rankings received priority, and teams with matches in the same state as a preferred base camp also had an edge.
What Teams Evaluate
National federations weigh proximity to match venues, training facility quality and privacy, hotel standards, climate, off-day amenities, press accommodation capacity, and security infrastructure. Some teams prioritize short travel to match cities. Others accept longer flights in exchange for better training conditions.
What Does FIFA Require from a Team Base Camp Venue?
Not every training facility qualifies. FIFA’s standards are specific.
Facility and Operational Requirements
A qualifying venue must provide a professional-quality training facility with at least one full-size pitch meeting FIFA’s technical regulations, locker rooms, fitness areas, and space for private sessions. A high-standard hotel nearby must support elite athletes with tailored meals, meeting rooms, and medical facilities. The venue must also handle the operational footprint of a national team for the duration of the group stage, including security, media management, and logistical coordination.
How Mansfield Stadium Was Selected as a Team Base Camp
Mansfield Stadium earned its designation as an official 2026 FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp through a process that began before the venue was fully open to the public. (FIFA refers to the venue as Mansfield Stadium in tournament contexts due to naming rights guidelines.)
The Timeline
The North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee submitted the facility as a candidate. FIFA approved it and included it in the brochure as a Dallas-area option. On March 3, 2026, the committee announced that Mansfield Stadium would host the winner of UEFA Playoff Path D. On March 31, Czechia defeated Denmark 3-1 in a penalty shootout to qualify and confirmed the venue as its training headquarters.
What the Designation Means for the Venue
The base camp designation places the venue alongside training sites selected by Germany (Winston-Salem), Brazil (Basking Ridge), England (Kansas City), and the United States (Irvine). The designation reflects the quality of the stadium’s infrastructure before it even opened. View the full venue and event spaces for details.
What Happens at Mansfield During the Tournament
Czechia competes in Group A, opening against South Korea in Guadalajara on June 11, followed by South Africa in Atlanta on June 18, and Mexico in Mexico City on June 24. Between matches, the team returns to Mansfield for training.
Mansfield has announced plans to incorporate Czech culture into community programming during the team’s stay, including a community event in early June. For the venue, the tournament is a global spotlight on a facility that opens its first season of professional soccer and live events the same summer. Read the Team Base Camp designation announcement for additional context.
The Bigger Picture
A FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp is not just a training site. The designation signals that a venue has met the operational, technical, and logistical standards required to support a competing World Cup nation. For smaller cities and newer venues, the credential carries lasting value.
Mansfield Stadium joins a select list of facilities worldwide chosen for the 2026 tournament. Contact our team to learn more about the venue and its year-round programming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp?
A Team Base Camp is the official training site and accommodation pairing that serves as a national team’s primary base during the group stage of the FIFA World Cup. Teams train, rest, and prepare for matches at their base camp between games.
How many Team Base Camps are there for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
FIFA approved more than 60 potential Team Base Camp options across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each of the 48 participating teams selects one base camp for the group stage.
Is Mansfield Stadium a match venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
No. Mansfield Stadium is a training site, not a match venue. Tournament matches in North Texas are played at Dallas Stadium in Arlington. Mansfield Stadium serves as the Team Base Camp for Czechia.
Can fans attend training sessions at Team Base Camps?
Arrangements vary by team and location. Mansfield has announced a community event in early June where residents will have an opportunity to welcome the Czechia team.
How did Czechia qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Czechia qualified by defeating Denmark 3-1 in a penalty shootout (after a 2-2 draw) in the UEFA Playoff Path D final on March 31, 2026. The qualification marked the nation’s first World Cup appearance in 20 years.
What other teams have confirmed base camps in the United States?
Confirmed base camps include Germany (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), Brazil (Basking Ridge, New Jersey), England (Kansas City), the United States (Irvine, California), Scotland (Charlotte, North Carolina), Czechia (Mansfield, Texas), and Sweden (Frisco, Texas), among others. FIFA’s Team Base Camp brochure lists all approved options.
