Qatar to be based in Santa Barbara, California, for FIFA World Cup 2026

Qatar’s national football team will base its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, FIFA announced as part of the official Team Base Camp selections for the 48-team tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Qatar, drawn in Group B alongside Switzerland, Canada, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, will open against Switzerland on June 13 in the San Francisco Bay Area, face Canada on June 19 in Vancouver, and play Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 24 in Seattle.

The team qualified for a second consecutive World Cup, its first through qualification rather than as hosts, after play-off wins over Oman and the UAE.

FIFA said Team Base Camps are a key part of the tournament, allowing teams to train, recover, and settle during the competition. FIFA World Cup 2026 chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi described the finalisation of training sites as a major organisational milestone.

FIFA also confirmed that 39 teams will be based in the United States, seven in Mexico, and two in Canada.

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