The Germany national team’s base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been announced as North Carolina.
According to the DFB, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, Julian Nagelsmann’s team will set up shop in Winston-Salem,
a little over an hour away from Charlotte, give or take.
The DFB announced that the team will stay at The Graylyn Estate hotel and train on the grounds of Wake Forest University, which is just minutes away from the hotel.
The base camp itself is strategically located in the middle of Germany’s group stage venues – Houston, Toronto, and New York/New Jersey. All three cities are a two to three hour flight away from Charlotte.
From this writer’s research, the location looks like a quiet, remote place, fully detached from the hustle and bustle of the World Cup (or völlig losgelöst, as the Germans may say).
Whether that is a good choice remains to be seen, though. Germany also set up camp far away from the capital area of Doha during the last World Cup, and the results were not exactly satisfying. Another bad example would be the women’s national team making a horrible accommodation decision and being forced to hide their shoes from snakes and spiders during their last World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, which also ended prematurely.
The national team will first fly to Chicago for their dress rehearsal against the USA (June 6) before settling into their new home. Fans, including yours truly, will be hoping it stays their home for as long as possible.
