World Cup 2026: Fan Fests Bring the Game to More People

January 29, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

Here’s a summary⁤ of the information from the provided text ‌regarding where teams are⁤ planning to train ‌and play pre-World Cup matches for‍ the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

Training Camps:

* Croatia: Alexandria, Virginia
* Spain: Chattanooga,‍ Tennessee
* ⁢ Potential Locations⁣ (still under consideration): Birmingham, Alabama; Westfield, ​Indiana; Louisville,‌ Kentucky;‍ Oklahoma ⁢City; Tucson, ⁢Arizona; Stillwater, Oklahoma. Teams will choose from ‌FIFA’s proposed training ⁣facilities.

Pre-Tournament Pleasant ⁢Matches (already announced):

* “Road ⁢to ’26” Series⁢ (March): ⁢ Brazil, France, Colombia, and Croatia will ‌play matches along the ⁤East Coast.
* Argentina (June): Will play Honduras and Mexico ‍at locations yet to be persistent.
* USA (May/June): Will play Senegal in charlotte‍ on May 31st⁣ and germany in Chicago on June 6th.

Crucial Notes:

* More‍ friendly matches are expected to be announced.
* FIFA rules prevent pre-World cup exhibition games from being played at the actual⁣ World Cup tournament ‌venues.
* The author expresses ⁣hope that ​ticket prices for⁤ these friendly matches will be more affordable than‌ those for the⁢ world Cup itself.