Can you watch World Cup teams practice? What to know about CA base camps
California is getting ready for soccer mania as soccer teams and fans from around the globe will descend across the state in June.
Not only will the Golden State be the backdrop for a number of matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but it will also provide space for players to train, relax and recover. Of the 48 teams playing in this year’s FIFA World Cup, seven will be housed and train in California throughout June and July.
Two teams will reside in the Bay Area, another two will be along the Central Coast and the other three will be housed around Southern California during the monthlong World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup — hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. this year — kicks off on June 11 with a match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. The first California game will be June 12 between the U.S. and Paraguay, played in Inglewood.
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Irvine has the unique opportunity to host one of the three home teams for this year’s World Cup — Team USA will train at Irvine’s Great Park Sports Complex throughout the tournament. Great Park is also home to the United Soccer League’s Orange County Soccer Club.
“We are proud to welcome the players, coaches, and fans to Irvine for one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events,” the city wrote in an Instagram post announcing the partnership in March.
Events open to the public
On June 8, the city will host a Community Day at Great Park, providing the region an opportunity to see the U.S. men’s team practice for free before they hit the pitch for the tournament.
According to an Instagram post by Great Park, the event will be free, but ticket registration is required. Tickets will be offered on a lottery basis, the post read. Interested fans members can register for the ticket lottery until 10 a.m. Monday, May 25. Each registered email address can receive up to two tickets, and lottery winners will be notified by May 29.
Registration for the Community Day ticket lottery is available at cityofirvine.gov/worldcup.
Teams in the Bay
The national teams for Australia and Paraguay plan to use facilities in the Bay Area during the FIFA World Cup.
San Jose State University will host Paraguay during the tournament, with its Spartan Soccer Complex and other athletics medical facilities used for training and recovery operations.
“Hosting La Albirroja (Paraguay’s national team) on our campus is not only a proud moment for Spartan Athletics, but also an extraordinary opportunity to unite our students, alumni, and community around the world’s game,” said San Jose State University president Cynthia Teniente-Matson in an emailed statement.
Further north in the East Bay, the United Soccer League Oakland Roots and Soul teams have offered up their training facilities in Alameda for the Socceroos — Australia’s national team.
“Australia has an incredible fan base, and we look forward to welcoming them to our city and region,” Oakland Roots and Soul Soccer Club president Lindsay Barenz said in a news release.
Events open to the public
San Jose State University has not yet shared any public events scheduled with the Paraguayan team, but a spokesperson said plans are in the works.
It was unclear as of Tuesday whether the Australian soccer team would have any events open to the Bay Area public while they are training in Alameda.
However, the Socceroos will travel to Southern California at the start of June to play in two international friendly matches.
On May 30, the Australians will face off against the Mexican national team at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, and on June 6, the team will play Switzerland at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
Teams in Central Coast
Two national teams will stay in Santa Barbara for the World Cup: Qatar and Austria.
The University of California, Santa Barbara is opening its facilities to the Austrians, according to a social media post by the nation’s consulate general in Los Angeles. In April, officials from Austria’s Embassy and its national football organization visited the university ahead of the team’s arrival.
In January, the Qatar national soccer team announced its training facilities will be at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. The team’s manager, Julen Lopetegui, visited the college campus following the announcement, according to the Qatar football team’s website.
Events open to the public
Neither the University of Santa Barbara nor the Austrian national soccer team have announced any opportunities for fans to watch the team practice. Westmont College has not released information about the partnership with the Qatar national team, including if any team practices will be open to the public.
Other teams in Southern California
San Diego will be the home base for the Switzerland and New Zealand national teams.
The All Whites — New Zealand’s team — are set to use the University of San Diego’s athletic facilities throughout the World Cup tournament. According to a spokesperson for the university, it beat out other contenders seeking to host the team in a “competitive selection process.”
“USD Athletics partnered with Sports San Diego to showcase our world-class athletic facilities,” said Kimya Massey, executive director of the University of San Diego’s Athletics department, in an emailed statement. “Being chosen by New Zealand is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the dedication and collaborative effort our athletics staff, campus partners, and regional stakeholders have invested in building an infrastructure capable of supporting competition at the highest international level.”
The Swiss team is staying near the Kiwis, training at the San Diego Jewish Academy.
“We want our students to expand their thinking and explore new possibilities through unique real-world experiences,” academy head Zvi Weiss said in a statement to the San Diego Jewish World publication. “Having this unique connection to the international community and such a renowned international tournament does exactly that. This is something they’ll always remember.”
Events open to the public
San Jose State did not share whether the New Zealand team will host any open practices or friendly matches for fans in California before the World Cup kicks off.
According to the Swiss national team’s spokesperson, the Swiss team will not have time to host a public training session or meet-and-greet event, but it will play in the friendly match against Australia on June 6 at Snapdragon Stadium.
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