Norway’s World Cup team arrives in Greensboro, sets UNCG training session

A 4,200-mile trip ended at Piedmont Triad International Airport just before 9 p.m. June 2, bringing Norway’s World Cup squad to Greensboro and putting UNCG at the center of one of soccer’s biggest months.

Norway chose Greensboro as its home base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a rare international assignment for the Triad and a notable civic win for a city that is now hosting a team that has not played on World Cup’s stage since France 1998. FIFA says Norway qualified after 28 years away from the tournament, powered in part by striker Erling Haaland, who scored 16 goals in eight qualifiers. Ståle Solbakken is Norway’s head coach.

The local spotlight will sharpen on June 10, when Norway holds an open training session at UNCG Soccer Stadium, the team’s only scheduled public practice in Greensboro. Gates open at 4 p.m., training begins at 5 p.m., admission is free and tickets are required. Capacity is limited at the stadium, which seats about 3,500 and underwent significant upgrades in 2023.

Norway’s arrival carries more than sporting symbolism for Guilford County. Hotels, restaurants and airport traffic all stand to pick up as the team settles in, and Greensboro’s role as a base camp gives the city a chance to market itself to visitors, media and soccer fans far beyond the Triad. FIFA says Team Base Camps are a vital part of the World Cup structure, and 48 sites were finalized across the three host countries, with 39 teams based in the United States, seven in Mexico and two in Canada.

Greensboro landed the assignment through a partnership involving the Greensboro Sports Foundation, the City of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro and the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Local sports leaders have framed the selection as part of a broader push to position Greensboro as a tournament town, and the Norway camp follows Germany’s decision to base in Winston-Salem, making the Triad a two-team hub for the tournament.

WUNC reported that Greensboro stayed in negotiations with Norway for more than a year before the team picked the city, citing peace and quiet, top-notch training facilities, proximity to downtown and easy access to Piedmont Triad International Airport. Norway is expected to remain in Greensboro at least through July 1, depending on how far it advances in the tournament.

Officials have said the Norway and Germany camps could generate more than $4 million in economic impact for the Triad, a figure that reflects not just hotel rooms and meals, but the unusual prestige of becoming a home away from home for World Cup teams.