Turkiye Men's National Team to train for World Cup 2026 in Arizona

The World Cup may not be coming to the Phoenix metro area, but one Valley city is set to host a country's men's national team for the soccer tournament.

Arizona Athletic Grounds, in collaboration with Visit Mesa and the City of Mesa, will be the training site for the Turkiye Men’s National Team for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The venue is scheduled to host closed training sessions throughout the group stage and beyond for Turkiye, which opens World Cup play on June 13 at BC Place Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada, against Australia.

Turkiye plays in Group D with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.

This is Turkiye's third World Cup appearance and first appearance in the soccer tournament since 2002.

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“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 statement.

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

A Community Day is scheduled for Monday, June 8, at Arizona Athletic Grounds. It will allow fans to watch an active training session on the stadium field, get autographs and photos with players, enjoy live music, entertainment, food and drink specials and other family friendly activations, according to a release.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11, 2026. Turkiye is one of 48 nations in the field.

Arizona Athletic Grounds isn't the only Arizona venue set to host training for a World Cup team.

The Kino Sports Complex in Tucson has been announced as the World Cup training home for Iran, but Iran has reportedly had no visas issued for World Cup games in the United States as of yet.