A Trio of Teams on NC Pitches
North Carolina, where soccer culture is surging, will be home base for three FIFA World Cup teams, media representatives and diehard fans as the tournament unfolds across North America this summer. Charlotte, the state’s largest city, will be the Scotland National Team’s base with Germany’s squad training in Winston-Salem and Norway’s in Greensboro.
Charlotte will also host the May 31 send-off match between the US Men's National Soccer Team and Senegal’s squad. The match will take place at Bank of America Stadium, home field for the Charlotte FC, whose roster includes US defender Tim Ream. The Charlotte club, which hosted four FIFA Club World Cup 2025 matches, is one of the state’s seven professional soccer teams, which include the powerhouse NC Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League.
WHY NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina, the ninth largest of the 50 US states, extends from the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains to the dune-lined Atlantic Ocean. This dramatic beauty bookends the rolling Piedmont landscapes where Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and other cities flourish.
For a quick course on North Carolina, check out our Media Kit, and follow the links below to learn more about the team base destinations. Journalists can email media@VisitNC.com for connections with public relations representatives in those destinations or others of interest.
World Cup Base Camps
Base Camp Locations
Check out the links below to dive deeper into our partner sites and discover the spirit, stories and sights that make each FIFA base camp unique.
Winston-Salem's Perfect Pace
"With our Home Ground at the adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, we have a place that allows the team to come together regularly while still providing the peace and privacy we need. We have found the same conditions here at The Graylyn Estate. We have three football fields in excellent condition that meet all of our sporting requirements, and they can be reached on foot or by bike in less than 10 minutes. That is a decisive advantage."
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Base Camp Winston-Salem
Settled by German-speaking Moravians and infused with industrial wealth, Winston-Salem celebrates its past as it advances legacies of arts and innovation. Travelers can savor the past, revel in the modern and soak up the city’s distinctive charm.
Seeking their fifth FIFA title, die Nationalelf will enjoy an exclusive takeover of the 65-acre Graylyn Estate, created a century ago by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Chairman Bowman Gray and his wife, Nathalie. Training will take place at Wake Forest University’s W. Dennie Spry Soccer Stadium.
Plan your visit
FIFA World Cup: Your Winston-Salem Media Resource Hub
Winston-Salem Sports Culture
Summer sports action centers on the Winston-Salem Dash, an affiliate of Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox, and Saturday night stock car racing at Bowman Gray Stadium, home of NASCAR’s season-opening Clash in February. The quarter-mile track surrounds the field where the Winston-Salem State University Rams football team plays. For anyone looking for impressive names, Winston-Salem’s universities boast NBA stars Tim Duncan and Chris Paul, NFL’s Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, and champion golfers Arnold Palmer and Webb Simpson.
Connect with soccer fans
Small Batch Beer Co. bills itself as the city’s “soccer bar” (the Liverpool Red Ale gives you an idea of the owners’ team loyalty) with regular viewings of notable matches, ample seating and multiple screens. Other top choices include Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Co. for its massive screens and Foothills Brewpub.
Signature Winston-Salem Attractions
Old Salem Museum & Gardens, the place where the city began, is an expansive living history experience with guides in period dress sharing the story. Reynolda, the estate built by tobacco magnate RJ Reynolds and wife Katharine, combines a house museum experience, a first-rate collection of American art, and splendid gardens. Other priority stops include the lively Innovation Quarter hub.
Charlotte's Winning Ways
“Charlotte FC have a top MLS training facility, with everything we need to prepare for our matches. As most competing nations have discovered, travel will be an important factor in this World Cup. Our base in Charlotte will be convenient for the airport, with flights of around two hours to Boston and Miami for our group stage matches.”
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Base Camp Charlotte
Charlotte, known as the Queen City, is named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III and queen of Great Britain and Ireland. It’s a major financial center with a relaxed Southern pace, a passion for sports, a thriving culinary scene and robust cultural amenities.
The Charlotte FC’s Atrium Health Performance Park will host the Scotland National Team as it readies for its return to World Cup contention for the first time since 1998.
Charlotte Sports Culture
The Charlotte FC is but one of the jewels in the city’s sports crown. Others include the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA and the Charlotte Knights, an affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox. The NASCAR Hall of Fame, featuring a racing simulator and other immersive exhibits, traces stock car-racing’s roots to the days of illegal liquor runs. And if you’re from Scotland and you love golf, several of the most celebrated Donald Ross courses are in Pinehurst and Southern Pines, a two-hour drive from Charlotte.
Connect with soccer fans
The Mint City Collective, the Charlotte FC’s ardent fan group, and supporters of other teams have raised their flags in bars and breweries to watch the action and exchange cheers. Choices in Visit Charlotte’s guide for soccer fans start near Bank of America Stadium with three adjacent options: Courtyard Hooligans, Valhalla Pub & Eatery and Queen City Bites & Crafts. The Collective has staged recent watch parties at Distro Beer Hub and HopFly Brewing Co.
Signature Charlotte Attractions
In addition to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, not-to-miss attractions include the US National Whitewater Center, home of the world’s largest manmade whitewater river. Beyond the rapids, the center offers climbing, flatwater action (kayaking and stand-up paddle board), ziplining, a ropes course, yoga, riverside shops, adventure dining and live music in summer.
Greensboro's Vibrant Vibe
“The World Cup is a test, both mentally and physically. It is extremely important to be able to disconnect from matches and training and have good facilities. Here, we will get top training conditions and a place that recharges our batteries instead of draining them.”
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Base Camp Greensboro
North Carolina’s third-largest city is known as Jeansboro, a nod to its roots as a world denim capital. The city is recognized for a landmark moment in US Civil Rights history: a lunch-counter sit-in by NC Agricultural & Technical College students who launched a national movement. The counter is preserved and the history extended at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.
Norway's Landslaget will train at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Soccer Stadium.
Greensboro Sports Culture
Greensboro is known as “tournament town.” The city started flexing its sports muscles decades ago with collegiate competitions featuring Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner and other future superstars at Greensboro Coliseum. Today, major events in golf, aquatics, professional bull riding and other sports unfold in the city. The Greensboro Grasshoppers, an affiliate of Major League Baseballs’ Pittsburgh Pirates, draw fans to their downtown stadium. Collegiate sports history is honored at the Atlantic Coast Conference Hall of Champions, which features moments of greatness, a menagerie of mascots and an interactive broadcasting booth.
Connect with soccer fans
Downtown's LeBauer Park will host a pair of watch World Cup watch parties. Elsewhere, expect to find fellow soccer fans at The Abbey Taphouse, which often extends its hours for Premier League matches. Other good bets include Coopers Ale House inside the Wyndham Garden Hotel and Jakes’s Billiards.
Signature Greensboro Attractions
The Greensboro Science Center joins the International Civil Rights Center & Museum on the list of top Greensboro attractions. In addition to a science museum, it features a zoo and an aquarium plus SKYWILD, a treetop adventure course.
Contact Us
For more information on North Carolina and connections to local destinations, email the Visit NC PR Team.
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