Three of Europe's Giants: Where They'll Train in 2026

By Elke Porter | WBN News World Sports | February 15, 2026
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With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to kick off on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, national teams from around the world have been busy selecting their home bases for the tournament. For three of Europe's most storied football nations — Austria, Switzerland, and Germany — the choices reflect careful planning around match schedules, travel logistics, and the need for peace and privacy during one of sport's most demanding events.

Austria: Santa Barbara, California

Austria will be based in the Santa Barbara area, with players staying at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta — a site that national team manager Ralf Rangnick personally visited in December and labeled a "top choice."

The team will practice at the University of California, Santa Barbara, about ten minutes from the hotel. UCSB's 17,000-seat Harder Stadium will serve as the principal training facility.

The Austrian Football Association highlighted the practical appeal of the location: "The pleasant climatic conditions, high-quality fitness and recovery facilities, and short distances allow players and coaches to consistently focus on training and recovery — key aspects given the air travel to the game venues."

Austria is drawn to Group J. Their tournament opener is against Jordan on June 16 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara — their only West Coast match. Their other two group-stage games, against Argentina and Algeria, will be held at AT&T Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, respectively.

Switzerland: San Diego, California

The Swiss national team, known as Nati, has selected the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in northern San Diego as its World Cup hotel — a secluded luxury resort offering an eight-minute drive to its training facility at the San Diego Jewish Academy.

A delegation led by national team coach Murat Yakin visited five possible hotel and training locations in California in December following the group draw before settling on the San Diego site. The team emphasized the importance of environment: "Decisive factors included its seclusion, excellent training facilities and short distance to the training center. Away from the World Championship hustle and bustle, the team is meant to develop the necessary cohesion to be ready for the games."

Switzerland will fly from Switzerland to San Diego on June 2, having trained at FC St. Gallen's facilities from May 25 to June 1.

The Swiss open their group stage against Qatar on June 13 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, then face a UEFA Playoff A qualifier on June 18 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, before their final group match against Canada on June 24 at BC Place in Vancouver. That final match brings Nati north to Vancouver — a city they visit as guests rather than residents, since their base camp remains anchored in Southern California throughout the tournament.

Germany: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The German Men's National Team has selected Winston-Salem as its home base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, choosing Wake Forest University as its official training site and The Graylyn Estate as its team headquarters.

The Graylyn Estate, originally built nearly a century ago as a private residence and now operated as a hotel owned and managed by the neighboring university, will house the German squad. The training pitches at Wake Forest's W. Dennie Spry Soccer Stadium can be reached on foot or by bike in under ten minutes.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann was direct about his priorities in selecting the camp: "The most important thing from the coach's and players' perspective is the proximity to the pitches. Given the vast distances across the United States, Canada and Mexico we already cover long stretches when traveling, so we want to avoid additional journeys in our daily training routine."

The DFB's head of management made several transatlantic trips, visiting more than 40 potential base camps in the United States and Mexico before settling on Winston-Salem. Nagelsmann's second priority was hotel exclusivity — the 94-year-old Graylyn sits on 55 acres and offers 85 rooms, meaning the German delegation can occupy it entirely.

Germany will depart Frankfurt for Chicago on June 2 for a final pre-tournament friendly against co-hosts USA on June 6 at Soldier Field, before traveling to Winston-Salem. Their Group E campaign opens June 14 in Houston against Curaçao, followed by a match against Ivory Coast in Toronto on June 20, and a final group stage clash against Ecuador in New York/New Jersey on June 25.

Elke Porter at:
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