Lawrence, Kansas chosen as potential base-camp location for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Lawrence has been selected as a potential base-camp location for training during the 2026 World Cup, FIFA announced Tuesday night.
A base camp is a team’s home site for the competition, which includes a training ground and place of residency.
A KU Athletics source told The Star that — despite being chosen as a potential base-camp location — this doesn’t mean Lawrence has officially been selected by an international team yet.
According to the source, there are more potential base camps than teams, so not every location will be selected. The first edition of the team base-camp brochure showcases 24 locations, and FIFA plans to add more base-camp options across Canada, Mexico and the U.S. over the next 18 months.
One of the 48 participating teams could use the University of Kansas’ facilities and Rock Chalk Park as its base camp and stay at StoneHill Hotel.
In December, The Star wrote about Lawrence being chosen as a potential base camp following discussions that began last May.
The other nearby base-camp options include:
- Sporting KC’s training center in Kansas City, Kan. (with a potential team stay at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel)
- The KC Current’s training facility in Riverside (that team would reside at Hyatt’s Hotel Kansas City).
A FIFA official visited Rock Chalk Park in late September to check soil samples and ensure they met FIFA requirements. The official was impressed, according to KU officials.
“He came over and looked at us and was like, ‘I can’t believe I am going to say this, but this would match up with any English Premier League pitch that I’ve seen,’” Jason Booker, KU’s deputy athletics director for external affairs and revenue generation, said at the time.
According to FIFA, the base-camp brochure sent to participating teams will provides multiple options for their final selection. Those selections will be submitted following the final draw for the FIFA World Cup 26.
The draw is expected to occur in late 2025. It will reveal the geographic zones in which teams will play their group-stage matches during the international tournament.
This story was originally published June 12, 2024 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Lawrence, Kansas chosen as potential base-camp location for 2026 FIFA World Cup."
