Austria Heads to Santa Barbara, California for FIFA World Cup Base Camp

The Austrian Men’s National Soccer Team will stay in Goleta and train in Santa Barbara, California, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.

The team has announced that it will stay in a block of hotel rooms at the five-star Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta and use the training facilities at the nearby 17,000-seat, outdoor multi-purpose Harder Stadium on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Harder Stadium currently serves as the on-campus soccer stadium for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men’s and women’s programs, as well as the home venue for women’s professional soccer club Santa Barbara Sky, which will begin competing in the USL Championship from 2027. The stadium is also used occasionally by the university’s club rugby and lacrosse sides.

It comes as the Qatar Football Association confirmed that its national team would also set up in Santa Barbara during the tournament. The Maroons will utilize the UC Santa Barbara Westmont College sports facilities in Montecito as their training base and stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Santa Barbara Goleta Hotel.

“We are excited to welcome the [Austrian soccer] team to California, where they will set up their Team Base Camp near Santa Barbara, as they embark on their FIFA World Cup 2026 journey,” the Austrian Consulate in Los Angeles posted on social media. “We can’t wait for June and the boys to arrive — the team of the General Consulate will be cheering them on! Geh ma’s an!”

It is anticipated that city officials in Santa Barbara and the Austrian Football Association will host community events and open practices during training sessions, although these are yet to be formally confirmed.

Austria will compete in its first Men’s FIFA World Cup since France 1998 in Canada, Mexico and the United States this year. It will also be their eighth participation in the headline event to date.

The Österreichische Fußballnationalmannschaft will play their first game of the Group J group stage against Jordan on June 16 in Santa Clara. They will then return to Goleta to train before its next two games, firstly against Argentina in Dallas on June 22 and then against Algeria in Kansas City on June 27.

FIFA World Cup Preparations

Read the full list of confirmed base camps so far here.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has been expanded to 48 teams, will begin with Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City, with the final being held on July 19 in New York New Jersey.