Grandover Resort will serve as home for the Norwegian soccer team for several weeks during the summer 2026 World Cup Soccer tournament, with training practices to take place at UNCG. The lodging site was a secret until this morning, when it was announced during a Piedmont Triad Partnership breakfast at High Point University.

Winston-Salem will be base camp for the German team, with practices at Wake Forest University and lodging at Graylyn Estate, and Charlotte will host the team from Scotland.

Athletic directors from Wake Forest and UNCG joined the presidents of Greater Winston-Salem and Greensboro Sports Foundation for a panel discussion moderated by Mike Fox, president/CEO, Piedmont Triad Partnership.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19th across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., with the final game to be played at New York New Jersey Stadium. Featuring 48 teams, the 2026 tournament will be the first hosted by three nations.

Teams will begin arriving and training at base camp sites across the country around June 5, 2026, to prepare for the competition, bringing staff, fans, friends, family and media with them. Mark Owens, president/CEO of Greater Winston Salem, said more than 150 requests for media credentials have come in so far, and he expects the number to grow to at least twice that amount.

The FIFA organization (International Federation of Association Football) requires teams to hold several open practices for fans at base camp sites. These events are free but will be ticketed.

High Point University President Nido Quebein kicked off this morning’s presentation with a “modest” mention of HPU’s victory over Wisconsin (the first NCAA tournament victory in the school’s history) and its 2nd round nail biter against #4 Arkansas.