The World Cup doesn’t begin until June, but preparations and plans have already kicked off across the Triad. Both the Norwegian and German national teams will soon call the region home.
Norway will arrive in Greensboro in the first part of June. They’ll remain through July 1st at minimum — longer if they fare well in the first rounds of the World Cup. The team will train on the University of North Carolina at Greensboro campus, but their exact housing location is being withheld for security reasons.
The German men’s national team will practice in the W. Dennie Spry Soccer Stadium on the Wake Forest University campus in Winston-Salem.
Greensboro Sports Foundation President Richard Beard says the many years they’ve worked to raise the city’s national and international sports profile are coming to fruition.
"We're collectively going to brand the Piedmont Triad International Airport to welcome visitors from Germany and Norway," he says. "When any passengers get off, they will know that Norway and Germany are in the region."
Beard says Norway will hold an open practice at UNCG, but officials are still working through details. A community watch party is also planned.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across North America.