USMNT chooses Irvine, Calif., for World Cup base

The U.S. men's national team will set up its World Cup training base at Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, Calif., this summer.

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the decision on Tuesday.

The Irvine location is less than 50 miles from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., where the USMNT will play two of its three group-stage matches. The other match will be played in Seattle.

Should the U.S. win the group, its first knockout-stage match would be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Great Park features 24 soccer fields, including a 5,000-plus-seat stadium that is the home of Orange County SC, a soccer team in the USL Championship. The USMNT will train at the stadium with sessions that won't be open to the public.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement, "We are delighted to have Great Park as our training site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The facilities are simply outstanding and will provide the perfect training environment for our team to prepare to be successful at the World Cup."

Irvine Mayor Larry Agran said in a statement, "We are honored that the U.S. Men's National Team has chosen to train at the Great Park during the FIFA World Cup. This decision reflects the caliber of the Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium and the professionalism of the staff who operate it. Irvine is proud to welcome the players, coaches, and supporters from around the world to our great city for one of the world's most celebrated sporting events."

According to The Athletic, U.S. Soccer first looked to UC Irvine, but the university and FIFA didn't reach an agreement on the proposal. U.S. Soccer then pivoted across town to Great Park.

The USMNT has four friendly matchups scheduled ahead of the World Cup: March 28 vs. Belgium and March 31 vs. Portugal, both in Atlanta; May 31 vs. Senegal in Charlotte; and June 6 vs. Germany in Chicago.

The U.S. opens World Cup Group D action against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, then faces Australia on June 19 in Seattle. The USMNT's final group game, on June 25 in Inglewood, will be against the winner of a UEFA playoff, either Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey or Romania.

--Field Level Media