Argentina selects Kansas City as World Cup base camp

Argentina will base in Kansas City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as U.S. cities prepare for an influx of international teams and fans.

Kansas City, Kan. – With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just three months away, cities across the United States are racing to finalize training facilities that national teams will call home during the global tournament.

Among them is Kansas City, which will serve as the base camp for defending champion Argentina national football team, a major win for the region as it prepares to welcome both players and tens of thousands of international fans.

Base camps are critical to World Cup operations. They serve as home headquarters where teams live, train and recover while traveling between match sites throughout the competition.

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World Cup 2026 signage is displayed in Kansas City, one of the tournament’s host cities. (Olivianna Calmes)

"From private practice fields to player recovery rooms, these facilities are designed to support some of the biggest names in soccer," said Alan Dietrich, who has worked closely with organizers.

Local leaders have spent more than a year pitching their cities to international teams, hoping to showcase not just athletic facilities but the broader community.

"We started actually over a year ago with countries beginning to visit," Dietrich said.

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Tourism officials say the opportunity extends far beyond the sport itself. Hosting a base camp allows cities to introduce themselves to global audiences and build long-term international relationships.

To show support for Kansas City's bid for the men's 2026 FIFA World Cup, the KC2026 Bid Committee and Outfront media installed a 90x90-foot banner on Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"We knew that the World Cup was going to be kind of our first chance and probably our biggest chance to be engaging these international markets," said Devin Aaron with Visit KC.

A locker room shows the "We are FIFA 2026 Kansas City" sign in the Sporting KC training facility. (Olivianna Calmes)

Early expectations had Argentina basing in Miami, but Kansas City ultimately stood out during the selection process.

"When Argentina visited, they really loved it here," Dietrich said. "They loved our facilities, they loved our people."

The team will train at Sporting Kansas City’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center, a state-of-the-art facility in Kansas City, Kansas that will serve as Argentina’s training home base during the tournament.

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The complex features multiple professional grade fields and elite level training amenities designed for international competition.

Inside, players will have access to private dining areas, meeting rooms and dedicated recovery spaces designed to help them rest between matches.

A resting room for World Cup players. (Olivianna Calmes)

"If they’ve traveled a lot and they’re tired, they can come in here, turn the lights out and get a nice nap," Dietrich added.

Up to 100,000 Argentine fans are expected to travel to Kansas City during the tournament, a preview of the global crowds set to flood World Cup host cities across the U.S.

Across the U.S., cities selected as host sites and base camps are preparing for similar surges, as teams finalize training locations and fans follow their national squads.

Cities across the US which are hosting World Cup games. (Fox News)

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The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and spanning host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with each location competing for global visibility and long-term economic impact.

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Legendary college basketball coach Bill Self said Sunday he was unsure about his future in the sport after the Kansas Jayhawks lost on a buzzer-beater to St. John’s.

Self said he wasn’t sure if he was going to return for another season. The 63-year-old has won two national championships in 23 seasons with the Jayhawks. But the last few years have been marred due to heart issues and other health conditions.

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Kansas head coach Bill Self reacts as the team plays California Baptist during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 20, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

"I’ve gone through some stuff off the court, so I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on," Self said. "I love what I do. I need to be able to do it where I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. I’ll get back home, and it will all be discussed."

Self missed a game at Colorado in January after taking a precautionary trip to the hospital. He also had two stents inserted in his heart in 2023, and two more last year.

When asked about his health on Sunday, Self said he was unsure if he was "completely" healthy.

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Kansas head coach Bill Self yells towards the court against St. John's during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

"But I’m feeling — I feel as good as I’ve felt in a long time," Self added. "I’m not making any statements whatsoever. But every year, I think ... when you get to be doing it as long as I’ve done it, I look at it in five-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak. So I try to focus on this season and try to get us to a second weekend, which we failed at. So I’ll go back now and break it down and see where that leads."

The 2025-26 season ended with St. John’s guard Dylan Darling hitting a game-winning layup as time expired in the second-round matchup.

"My career ain’t going to be based on one game," Self said when asked if it would be tough to end his career on such a crushing defeat. "I said I was going to get back and evaluate my health situation."

Self took over the Jayhawks’ job before the 2003-04 season after three successful years at Illinois. He is 648-166 as Kansas’ head coach. Kansas made the NCAA Tournament in each season. He’s only had five seasons in which he had at least 10 losses.

Kansas head coach Bill Self motions towards the court during the first half of a game between Kansas and St. John's in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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