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The 2026 World Cup kicks off on Friday as teams from around the world compete in host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
With so many countries scattered across the host nations, the task arose of finding home bases for each to practice at.
Four in particular settled on practicing at some of the top high schools in the country.
REQUIRED READING: World Cup live updates: The biggest news, friendlies and more on Monday
Here are the four private schools selected as training bases for national teams leading up to the World Cup.
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Breakdown: The 2018 World Cup runners-up will train just outside Washington, D.C., at one of Virginia's premier high school soccer facilities.
Episcopal's boys soccer team has won four boys soccer state championships and plays at Humphrey Family Field.
To accommodate the Croatia national team, they added 40- to 100-foot athletic field lights to meet strict FIFA training guidelines.
Location: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Breakdown: The highest-rated team from Africa coming into the World Cup, according to FIFA, the Atlas Lions' home base is one of New Jersey's most dominant high schools, regardless of sport.
The Pingry School has won over 90 combined state championships, including multiple soccer state championships.
Pingry coach Miller Bugliari is the state's all-time winningest coach, having won six NJSIAA Non-Public State championships and 15 Prep A State titles before the school fully transitioned into NJSIAA play.
Pingry plays at Miller A. Bugliari ’52 World Cup Field, and they recently completed construction on a second full-sized World Cup practice field.
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Breakdown: A favorite for many in this year's tournament, the Spanish national team will train at one of Tennessee's premier high schools.
Located in downtown Chattanooga and surrounded by mountains, the Baylor School looks more like a college campus than a high school. The school has won 293 team state championships over 28 different sports for the most in state history.
The boys and girls soccer teams are two of the standout programs at the school, combining for 21 state championships. Their soccer complex features two natural grass fields and one synthetic turf field.
This is not the first time Baylor has hosted a national team or high-caliber club team. In 2025, they hosted Auckland FC for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and they also hosted the U.S. Women's National Team, the Costa Rica Women's National Team, and South Korea's U-17 National Team.
Location: San Diego, California
Breakdown: The Swiss national team has set up shop in beautiful San Diego and will train at a professional-grade athletic venue along the coast.
The San Diego Jewish Academy spans 56 acres and features some of California's nicest high school athletic facilities. To prepare for the national team's arrival, the school closed the soccer field down to students for the month.
They also built a new performance gym tent, new dressing rooms and a medical facility on the pitch.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup teams training at U.S high schools, from Jersey to San Diego
Continue reading...
With so many countries scattered across the host nations, the task arose of finding home bases for each to practice at.
Four in particular settled on practicing at some of the top high schools in the country.
REQUIRED READING: World Cup live updates: The biggest news, friendlies and more on Monday
Here are the four private schools selected as training bases for national teams leading up to the World Cup.
Croatia: Episcopal High School
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Breakdown: The 2018 World Cup runners-up will train just outside Washington, D.C., at one of Virginia's premier high school soccer facilities.
Episcopal's boys soccer team has won four boys soccer state championships and plays at Humphrey Family Field.
To accommodate the Croatia national team, they added 40- to 100-foot athletic field lights to meet strict FIFA training guidelines.
Morocco: The Pingry School
Location: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Breakdown: The highest-rated team from Africa coming into the World Cup, according to FIFA, the Atlas Lions' home base is one of New Jersey's most dominant high schools, regardless of sport.
The Pingry School has won over 90 combined state championships, including multiple soccer state championships.
Pingry coach Miller Bugliari is the state's all-time winningest coach, having won six NJSIAA Non-Public State championships and 15 Prep A State titles before the school fully transitioned into NJSIAA play.
Pingry plays at Miller A. Bugliari ’52 World Cup Field, and they recently completed construction on a second full-sized World Cup practice field.
Spain: The Baylor School
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Breakdown: A favorite for many in this year's tournament, the Spanish national team will train at one of Tennessee's premier high schools.
Located in downtown Chattanooga and surrounded by mountains, the Baylor School looks more like a college campus than a high school. The school has won 293 team state championships over 28 different sports for the most in state history.
The boys and girls soccer teams are two of the standout programs at the school, combining for 21 state championships. Their soccer complex features two natural grass fields and one synthetic turf field.
This is not the first time Baylor has hosted a national team or high-caliber club team. In 2025, they hosted Auckland FC for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and they also hosted the U.S. Women's National Team, the Costa Rica Women's National Team, and South Korea's U-17 National Team.
Switzerland: San Diego Jewish Academy
Location: San Diego, California
Breakdown: The Swiss national team has set up shop in beautiful San Diego and will train at a professional-grade athletic venue along the coast.
The San Diego Jewish Academy spans 56 acres and features some of California's nicest high school athletic facilities. To prepare for the national team's arrival, the school closed the soccer field down to students for the month.
They also built a new performance gym tent, new dressing rooms and a medical facility on the pitch.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup teams training at U.S high schools, from Jersey to San Diego
Continue reading...
