Preparations for the 2026 World Cup are beginning to ramp up, and the Argentina national team announced on Wednesday that the U.S. city of Kansas City, Mo, will serve as the team’s home base during the summer tournament.
Argentina arrives to the 2026 World Cup as defending champions, aiming to become the first team in over half a century to win back-to-back World Cups. Lifting the trophy in 2026 would also see La Albiceleste get within one World Cup triumph of bitter rivals Brazil for the most all time.
With Lionel Messi set to once again lead Lionel Scaloni’s side, Argentina is considered by many as the overall favorite to win the first ever 48-team World Cup.
Argentina’s path to the World Cup final became clearer during last December’s World Cup group stage draw. Now, with the start of the tournament fast approaching, La Albiceleste has selected a summer home, where te team will try to engineer a rare title defense.
But, why Kansas City?
Why Argentina Picked Kansas City as 2026 World Cup Home Base
The Argentina football federation (AFA) released a statement sharing details of why Kansas City is an advantageous locantion for Scaloni’s side to set up shop during the World Cup.
“Following various inspection trips led by [physical trainers and AFA administrators],” the statement said. “And after an extensive final report, we reached the conclusion that Kansas City would be the ideal site to confront the competition, due to the distances between cities and the amenities for the entire delegation.”
Located in the heart of the United States, it’s clear it was imperative for Argentina to try and make travel distances during the tournament as short as possible—something all teams will have to battle against in the first ever World Cup co-hosted by three different countries.
Still, there’s no confirmation of which training facilities in the city La Albiceleste will use during camp. However, it’s already been announced that Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the four-time Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs, will witness Argentina’s 2026 World Cup debut.
Where Will Argentina Play During 2026 World Cup
Argentina is the top-seeded team in Group J, and will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in three matches of the World Cup group stage.
Messi and co. will make their 2026 bow on June 16 vs. Algeria near their home base at the aforementioned Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Then, Argentina’s fixtures against Austria on June 22 and vs. Jordan on June 27 will both be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, home of iconic NFL franchise, the Dallas Cowboys.
Where Argentina plays after the group stage depends entirely on the results during these first three matches. Nevertheless, Scaloni’s side will arrive in KC before the tournament with a clear mission of finishing up in the 2026 World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Messi, Argentina Announce U.S. City as Home Base During 2026 World Cup.
