Egypt Announces Spokane, Washington, FIFA World Cup Base Camp Location

The Egyptian Men’s National Soccer Team will be based in Spokane, Washington, for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The team, which is participating in its fourth World Cup, will train at Luger Field on the southwest end of the Gonzaga University campus and stay at Northern Quest Resort and Casino on Hayford Road, located just 10 minutes west of downtown Spokane.

Opened in 2008, Luger Field features one main playing field and a practice field, a plaza, press box, main ticket booth, berms and site landscaping. In future phases, the site will also undergo developments with main grandstands, locker rooms, concessions and restrooms.

It is believed that the venues’ proximity to Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, where Egypt will play matches in the group stage, played a significant role in the Egyptian Football Association’s selection of the Spokane base camp. The central location in the Pacific Northwest was also an appealing factor.

The news was first revealed after a Spokane City Council agenda listed a request for the purchase of four security drones by the Spokane Police Department, to be used during Egyptian training sessions and travel between venues.

According to the Department, the four Skydio X10 drone platforms will cost $127,000 and will allow for “advanced autonomy, high-resolution visual and thermal imaging, and reliable performance in both day and night operations” at the training sites and lodging facilities. It added that they were necessary due to the “large crowds, international attention and heightened security demands that require real-time intelligence and rapid response capabilities.”

“As a coach, player, referee, and fan, I am ecstatic our community will have the rare opportunity to watch some of the world’s best soccer players prepare for the World Cup,” said State Senator Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. “We have solidified our place as the soccer heartbeat of the Inland Northwest, and I am excited for fans across the country and world to see what we have to offer.”

Although the Egyptian national team has qualified for the World Cup Finals on four occasions, it has never won a match in the tournament nor progressed from the group stage.

Egypt will kick off its Group G campaign against Belgium in Seattle on June 15, before playing New Zealand in Vancouver on June 21. Its final group stage game will be back in Seattle against Iran on June 26.

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.