England announces why KC was its ‘preferred location’ for World Cup base camp
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas City identified as England’s 2026 base in Jan 2025 after a search.
- Swope Soccer Village chosen; it has 3 grass and 6 synthetic fields.
- Kansas City gives relatively short flights to Dallas, New York and Boston for group games.
A second global soccer power officially says it will be making its 2026 World Cup base camp in Kansas City.
England Football made the announcement Wednesday, saying the team would make its camp at Swope Soccer Park. The team is expected to stay at The Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village.
More than a year ago, England zeroed in on Kansas City for its base camp.
“England will be based in Kansas City, Missouri for the duration of the tournament. Swope Soccer Village will be the Three Lions’ training base with Kansas City identified as the preferred location in January 2025 following an extensive search,” England Football wrote on its website.
England, which won the 1966 World Cup championship on its home soil, is fourth in FIFA’s world rankings.
Defending World Cup champion Argentina, which is ranked second, said last week it also would have its base camp in Kansas City. Argentina will train at Sporting’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Argentina will play its first World Cup match at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16.
England has no games scheduled for Kansas City. But coach Thomas Tuchel’s team will enjoy relatively short flights to Dallas, New York and Boston for England’s three group-stage matches.
That’s why Kansas City was appealing to “the Three Lions,” the nickname given to England’s men’s team.
The facilities England will use certainly were part of the allure. Swope Soccer Village has three natural grass fields and six synthetic turf fields, as the Sporting Fields + Athletics website notes. The dimensions of the soccer fields are 75 yards wide by 112 yards long.
England Football wrote glowingly of the facilities.
“Swope Soccer Village is one of Sporting Kansas City’s training facilities and the current home of the club’s MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT sides,” England Football wrote on its website. “The complex, located in the heart of Kansas City’s historic Swope Park, has previously hosted a variety of national and club sides having opened in 2007.”
The United States men’s and women’s teams are among those to have used the facility for training in the past.
Local reaction
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas quoted the English soccer anthem “Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home)” in welcoming the Brits
“Football is coming home to Kansas City! Our region is thrilled to make history welcoming one of the greatest national sides in international soccer to the practice ground at Kansas City’s legendary Swope Park,” Lucas said in a statement. “Once host to the Kansas City Chiefs of American football, England’s practice ground in Swope Park has for generations launched clubs to the pinnacle of success and sits in the center of the diverse cultures and people of Kansas City. Along with the club, Kansas City is thrilled to host thousands of fans from England to the welcoming Heart of America.”
In a news release on Sporting Kansas City’s site, team president and CEO Jake Reid raved about soccer’s presence in this area.
“Over the past 15 years this region has invested more than $650 million in soccer infrastructure, and that level of commitment is exactly why Kansas City has earned its reputation as the Soccer Capital of America,” Reid said. “Having World Cup champions in Argentina and England choose Sporting Kansas City training facilities as their base camp for FIFA World Cup 2026 is a tremendous honor that reinforces that Kansas City is not only at the heart of the game in this country but also a premier destination for elite international soccer.”
Pam Kramer, the CEO of KC2026, said Kansas City is ready to welcome England fans to the City of Fountains. “England’s decision to base in Kansas City reflects the kind of experience we strive to offer — one rooted in genuine hospitality, an understanding of the game, and a community that knows how to welcome people without pretense,” she said in a statement to The Star. “Kansas City has a long-standing soccer culture and a Midwestern spirit that values showing up for one another. We’re thrilled England chose to make Kansas City its home base and look forward to supporting the team and their supporters throughout their World Cup journey.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM.
