GREEN BAY – Green Bay is among the cities that could be home base camps for soccer teams from around the world during the 2026 World Cup series.
Sixteen cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico will host World Cup games. Nine additional cities, including Green Bay, were identified by international soccer governing body FIFA as possible home base camp sites. A team that chooses Green Bay would use Green Bay Packers facilities for practices and stay at Lodge Kohler hotel, which is across the street from the stadium. Details will be worked out if a team chooses Green Bay.
“The Green Bay Packers are excited for Lambeau Field to be considered as a Team Base Camp location for FIFA World Cup 26. The organization will be working with FIFA as the process continues,” the team said in a statement.
Matches will begin on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City and Guadalajara, and conclude July 19 in New Jersey/New York. The World Cup series will end before the start of Packers training camp in 2026.
Lambeau Field hosted a soccer friendly — an exhibition match — in July 2022 between Manchester City of England’s Premier League and FC Bayern Munich of Germany’s Bundesliga. At the time, they were the top teams in the world. The teams expressed satisfaction with playing conditions, the facilities and their experience in Green Bay, even though Lambeau Field is a bit small for a full soccer field and it rained during the match.
Lambeau Field’s turf was modeled on European soccer fields, with a sand base that quickly absorbs water.
More:Rain fell, lightning flashed, but soccer prevailed at Lambeau Field in Bayern Munich and Manchester City exhibition match
The Munich-Manchester match drew 78,128 fans from 19 countries and 50 states.
The Packers have said they would like to host other soccer friendlies. FIFA’s decision to include Green Bay in the list of home base camps makes that more likely.
“This increases Green Bay’s and Lambeau Field’s profile in the international community,” said Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs. “The Packers have had interest in hosting other friendlies.”
The Packers are building a third locker room in Lambeau Field, which would make it easier to host soccer friendlies and college football games. The Packers do not give up their home team locker room for such events and in the past located a temporary locker room in a Lambeau gymnasium.
Green Bay will host the NFL draft at Lambeau Field April 24-26, 2025, as well as a Notre Dame-Wisconsin college football game on Sept. 5, 2026.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
