FIFA confirms Australia, Paraguay base camps in Bay Area for 2026 World Cup

The Bay Area has landed two 2026 World Cup base camps, giving Oakland and San José a front-row role in a tournament that will otherwise be spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

FIFA finalized all 48 Team Base Camp Training Sites on May 25, confirming that Australia will train at the Oakland Roots/Soul Training Facility on Bay Farm Island in Alameda and Paraguay will base itself at the Spartan Soccer Complex at San José State University. FIFA said the camps are a key part of World Cup planning and are meant to broaden the event’s impact beyond the match cities themselves.

That matters in a region where the biggest World Cup venue, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, is already set to host six matches from June 13 to July 1. With the expanded tournament running from June 11 to July 19 and featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, the Bay Area is becoming one of the clearest West Coast hubs for teams, staff and visiting supporters moving through the schedule.

Australia was the first of the two to announce its Bay Area home, choosing Oakland on February 12 and calling the site its top pick. Head coach Tony Popovic said the location was ideal, and Football Australia’s Heather Garriock said the organization was delighted to call Oakland, Alameda, the San Francisco Bay Area and California home during the tournament. Oakland Roots and Soul SC president Lindsay Barenz said Australia has an incredible fan base and the club looked forward to welcoming it.

Paraguay followed on May 13, when San José State said the Spartan Soccer Complex would serve as the team’s official base camp. The university said it worked with the Bay Area Host Committee, SJ26 and the City of San José on the selection, and noted the site’s elite training facilities, stadium and high-performance athletic center. The complex, which opened before the 2017 season, has hosted MLS training sessions and the Mountain West Women’s Soccer Tournament.

The two teams also bring a practical local angle. Paraguay will play the United States on June 12 in Los Angeles/Inglewood, Türkiye on June 19 in Santa Clara and Australia on June 25 in Santa Clara. Australia will meet a UEFA playoff winner in Vancouver on June 13, the United States in Seattle on June 19 and Paraguay on June 25 in Santa Clara. That means Bay Area bases will sit directly inside the travel pattern of Group D, making the region a daily part of their World Cup routine.

Officials in Alameda have already framed the selection as a global spotlight for the waterfront community, and FIFA said the base camps should generate a socioeconomic boost in places not hosting matches. For Bay Area residents, the tournament is no longer a distant stadium event. It is arriving at training grounds in Alameda and San José, with the biggest games still just down the road in Santa Clara.