Turkey to use Arizona Athletic Grounds as FIFA World Cup training site

The Turkey men’s national team will use the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa for its 2026 FIFA World Cup training site.

While most training sessions will be closed to the public, a community day where fans can watch practice and get photos and autographs takes place June 8.

“Our Team Base Camp selection speaks to the quality of our facilities and the collaborative efforts that make opportunities like this possible,” David Hayes, director of fields at Arizona Athletic Grounds, said in a press release.

“We are honored to host Turkey and proud to work alongside Visit Mesa and the City of Mesa to showcase our community on the global stage.”

This marks the third time Turkey has qualified for the World Cup and the first time since 2002. Turkey has never finished better than third place (2002).

To qualify for this year’s World Cup, it beat Romania in the semifinals of the European playoffs before taking down Kosovo in the final.

It enters the 2026 event in Group D, which also includes the U.S., Paraguay and Australia. Turkey opens play against Australia on June 13 in Vancouver, Canada.

Arizona Athletic Grounds is the second location in the state being used as a training site for national teams.

In Tucson, the Kino Sports Complex is preparing to welcome the Iranian national team.

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

This year’s World Cup begins on June 11 and includes 48 nations.

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