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Kansas City, Kansas – With just three months until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cities across the United States are working to finalize training facilities that will host national teams during the global tournament.
Among them is Kansas City, which will serve as the base camp for the reigning champion Argentina national soccer team, a major win for the region as it prepares to welcome both players and tens of thousands of international fans.
Base camps are essential to World Cup operations. They serve as headquarters where teams live, train and recover while moving between match venues throughout the competition.
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Signage for the 2026 World Cup is displayed in Kansas City, one of the tournament’s host cities. (Olivianna Calmes)
“From private training grounds to player recovery rooms, these facilities are designed to support some of the biggest names in football,” said Alan Dietrich, who worked closely with organizers.
Local leaders spent more than a year pitching their cities to international teams, hoping to highlight not only the sports facilities but also the community as a whole.
“We started over a year ago with country visits,” Dietrich said.
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Tourism officials say the opportunity extends far beyond the sport itself. Hosting a base camp allows cities to introduce themselves to global audiences and build long-term international relationships.
To show their support for Kansas City’s bid for the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup, the KC2026 Bid Committee and Outfront Media installed a 90 x 90 foot banner on Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“We knew the World Cup was going to be kind of our first chance and probably our biggest chance to engage in these international markets,” said Devin Aaron of Visit KC.
A locker room shows the “We are FIFA 2026 Kansas City” sign in the Sporting KC training facility. (Olivianna Calmes)
Early expectations were for the Argentine to be based in Miami, but Kansas City ultimately stood out during the selection process.
“When the Argentines came here, they really loved this place,” Dietrich said. “They loved our facilities, they loved our people.”
The team will train at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center at Sporting Kansas City, a state-of-the-art facility in Kansas City, Kansas that will serve as Argentina’s training base during the tournament.
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The complex includes several professional-grade courts and elite-level training equipment designed for international competition.
Inside, players will have access to private dining areas, meeting rooms and dedicated recovery areas designed to help them rest between matches.
A rest room for World Cup players (Olivianna Calmes)
“If they’ve been traveling a lot and they’re tired, they can come here, turn off the lights and take a nice nap,” Dietrich added.
Up to 100,000 Argentine fans are expected to travel to Kansas City during the tournament, a taste of the global crowds that will flood World Cup host cities in the United States.
Across the United States, cities selected as host sites and base camps are preparing for similar surges, as teams finalize training locations and fans follow their national teams.
Cities in the United States that host World Cup matches (PK Press Club)
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The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and spanning host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with each venue competing for global exposure and long-term economic impact.
