2026 World Cup: Germany to be based at North Carolina hotel

The German FA (DFB) announced on Friday that the men's national team will be staying at the Graylyn Estate Hotel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as they embark on their quest for a fifth World Cup title. The facility, which looks very much like a castle, was built almost 100 years ago by a tobacco entrepreneur. The DFB have reserved all 85 rooms for the balance of the World Cup.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, sporting director Rudi Völler and the DFB's managing director, Andreas Rettig all visted the facility in early December, just after the World Cup draw in Washington D.C.

The hotel is just 10 minutes by bike away from the three grass training pitches at Wake Forest University that the team will be using between matches.

"Due to the vast distances in the USA, we already cover long distances, which we therefore want to avoid as much as possible in our daily training routine. We've succeeded in doing that with this base camp," the 38-year-old Nagelsmann said in a statement posted on the DFB's website.

He also said he saw similarities to the national team's permanent "Home Ground" retreat in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, which was used by the team during the 2024 European Championship.

"We've found a place that allows us to come together regularly, but still offers the necessary peace and quiet and opportunities for retreat," he said.

"The conditions are ideal – both in terms of sporting performance and infrastructure," said Managing Director Rettig, who described the process of deciding on a base for the tournament as "very complex."

Germany have long seen the selection of a tournament headquarters as a key to the national team's success. The Campo Bahia, which the DFB had specially built for 2014 in Brazil, was seen as a key factor in Germany winning their last World Cup.

The choices of the venues in Vatutinki near Moscow and in the Qatari desert were strongly criticized after Germany failed to advance past the group stage in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Germany are to travel to the United States on June 2nd, before facing the USA at Chicago's Soldier Field in their final pre-tournament friendly four days later.

Germany open their World Cup campaign against Curacao in Houston on June 14, to be followed by their other two group stage matches, against Ivory Coast in Toronto, Canada on June 20, and Ecuador in East Rutherford on June 25.