World Cup teams are putting the finishing touches on their base camps in the United States as cities prepare to welcome global crowds

Among them is Kansas City, which will serve as the base camp for the defending champion Argentina national soccer team, a major win for the region as it prepares to welcome players and tens of thousands of international fans.

Base camps are essential for World Cup operations. It serves as the headquarters where teams live, train and recover while traveling between match sites throughout the competition.

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2026 World Cup banners are displayed in Kansas City, one of the tournament’s host cities. (Oliviana Calmes)

Alan Dietrich, who worked closely with the organisers, said: “From private training pitches to player recovery rooms, these facilities are designed to support some of the biggest names in football.”

With local leaders He spent more than a year Promoting their cities to international teams, hoping to showcase not only the sporting facilities but the wider community.

“We actually started over a year ago with the start of visiting countries,” Dietrich said.

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Tourism officials say the opportunity extends beyond the sport itself. Hosting a base camp allows cities to introduce themselves to global audiences and build long-term international relationships.

To show support for Kansas City’s bid to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the KC2026 Bid Committee and outside media installed a 90-by-90-foot banner on Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jill Toyoshiba/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“We knew the World Cup would be our first and perhaps biggest opportunity to engage in these international markets,” said Devin Aaron of Visit KC.

The locker room displays the ‘We Are FIFA 2026 Kansas City’ banner at Sporting KC’s training facility. (Oliviana Calmes)

The early predictions were Argentina, headquartered in Miami, But Kansas City ultimately stood out during the selection process.

“When she visited Argentina, they really liked it here,” Dietrich said. “They loved our facilities, and they loved our people.”

The team will train at the Compass Minerals National Performance Center at Sporting Kansas City, a state-of-the-art facility in Kansas City, Kansas that will serve as Argentina’s training base during the tournament.

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The complex features numerous professional fields and elite-level training facilities designed for international competition.

Inside, players will have access to private dining areas, meeting rooms and dedicated recovery spaces designed to help them rest between matches.

A rest room for World Cup players. (Oliviana Calmes)

“If they have traveled a lot and are tired, they can come here, turn off the lights and have a nice nap,” Dietrich added.

Up to 100,000 Argentine fans are expected to travel to Kansas City during the tournament, a preview of the global crowds set to flood World Cup host cities across the United States.

Across the United States, cities selected as host sites and base camps are preparing for similar surges, as teams put the finishing touches on training sites and fans tune in to their national teams.

Cities across the United States hosting World Cup matches. (Fox News)

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The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and spanning host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with each location competing for global visibility and long-term economic impact.