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The field of 48 participating international teams can choose a base camp location for their first three matches, where players, staff and officials would spend most of their time during the group stage of the FIFA World Cup.
Lambeau Field in Green Bay hosted an exhibition soccer match between potent international teams in 2022 in what’s known as a “soccer friendly.” It might host soccer players from around the world once again.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association this month announced a list of potential team base locations for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, with Green Bay and Lambeau Field making the cut. Green Bay’s Lodge Kohler was selected as a paired hotel for the event.
“The (Green Bay) Packers are excited for Lambeau Field to be considered as a team base camp location for the FIFA World Cup in 2026,” Green Bay Packers director of public affairs Aaron Popkey told the Business Journal. “The organization looks forward to working with FIFA as the process continues.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at 16 stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 through July 19, 2026. Host cities include Toronto, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas and Philadelphia.
The field of 48 participating international teams can choose a base camp location for their first three matches, where players, staff and officials would spend most of their time during the group stage.
Although some potential team base camp locations have been revealed by FIFA, further options across the three host countries could be added.
This is not Lambeau Field’s first foray into international soccer. In 2022, Lambeau Field held its first-ever soccer match, when the Premier League’s Manchester City played against FC Bayern Munich of Germany’s Bundesliga.
The Packers are in talks about adding other friendlies in 2025 and beyond.
“A friendly did not work out for this summer, but there were discussions held and we anticipate having similar discussions for future summers,” Popkey said. “We are interested in hosting friendlies, and matches coming together is dependent on the schedules of the various clubs and how that may work out.”
The 2022 matchup was projected to bring over $10 million in economic impact to the region, with 78,128 fans ultimately attending, according to a FC Bayern Munich press release. Although Popkey did not put a specific number on Green Bay’s potential economic impact if a team were to select it as a base camp, he said it would be “significant.”
“We know that international soccer has a huge following domestically and certainly around the world, so the notoriety and recognition that would come with being associated with the World Cup as a team base camp would be of tremendous value in and of itself,” Popkey said.
Though Lambeau Field is rather new to the world of soccer, Popkey said its recognition helped the venue earn its interest from FIFA.
“Generally speaking, Lambeau Field is an iconic sports venue in the United States,” Popkey said. “And the growing interest in soccer in our region, be it northeastern Wisconsin and Wisconsin and the Midwest, those elements combined to make Lambeau Field a venue to be considered for some level of involvement with the World Cup.”
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