Grand Park Sports Complex is home to Indianapolis Colts training camp and all sorts of national sporting events. So why not offer it as a World Cup soccer training site.
FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, has released a list of facilities where the 48 teams competing in the 2026 World Cup can use as their home away from home.
FIFA has released 24 “high-grade locations” for what they call Team Base Camps. More possible locations will be added. After the draw in late 2025, the geographic zones for group matches will be revealed, affecting where national teams would want their base camp.
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Indianapolis is one of nine cities outside of a host city where base camps are possible. The others: Chattanooga, Tenn.; Cincinnati; Green Bay, Wis.; Irvine, Calif.; Louisville; St. Louis; Salt Lake City, and San Antonio.
“Westfield and Grand Park are excited about this opportunity to potentially host FIFA World Cup members and provide a world-class training facility for FIFA teams,” Westfield Mayor Scott Willis said in a news release. “Today’s announcement further validates Grand Park’s world-renowned reputation as one of the most visited sports venues in the country, hosting Indy Eleven, NFL training camps or youth sports tournaments. It is clear our community is being noticed and recognized around the world, which is a huge economic driver for the city. What an exciting time to be a Westfield resident.”
Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Guadalajara (Mexico), Monterrey (Mexico), Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle were chosen as host sites for games.
“Even if a city is not staging matches, a participating team coming to stay creates a strong personal bond with the competition for people locally,” Heimo Schirgi, Chief Operating Officer World Cup, said in a statement. “It will see them adopt their guests as a second team during the tournament, thereby connecting even more people to the FIFA World Cup.”
