While the French team aims for the semi-finals from their Boston Four Seasons, their rivals have also settled in · and their hotel choices say a lot about their philosophy. At the time of the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the base camp has become a matter of state, between privatised palaces, recreated pitches and monastic options. A tour of these 5-star headquarters (or not).
2026 World Cup: The vast differences in base camps for the Blues’ rivals
Ronaldo’s Portugal, a palace by the ocean
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal would be staying at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, a five-star hotel located on the Atlantic coast in Florida · private beach, three swimming pools including an indoor one, a restaurant led by a Michelin-starred chef. The presence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has not been officially confirmed by the hotel, but fans have gathered in front of the establishment to try and catch a glimpse of him. For training, the team has taken over the Gardens North County District Park, a complex of over 80 hectares and ten FIFA-standard pitches · the same one that hosted Real Madrid during the last Club World Cup.
Brazil, an entire hotel privatised in New Jersey
The Seleção has privatised the entire Ridge Hotel, in Basking Ridge, an upscale residential town in New Jersey chosen for its privacy, comfort and proximity to the MetLife Stadium, the venue for the final. Their training camp, in Morris Township, covers nearly 80 hectares and has eight pitches · including one that perfectly replicates the final stadium’s pitch. Added to this are a recovery lab with physiotherapy pools and contrast baths, and even a protein ice cream machine. Nothing is left to chance.
England and Spain opt for simplicity
In stark contrast to the opulence, England, one of the world’s top nations, has chosen austerity: The Inn at Meadowbrook in Kansas City and training at the Swope Soccer Centre. Spain, meanwhile, has settled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the downtown Embassy Suites · with its facade adorned in national colours · with a training camp set up at a private school on the riverbank. Proof that enthusiasm is not waning: 8.6 million people followed the Roja’s arrival.
Germany and Argentina, discreet luxury
Germany has chosen the Graylyn Estate, a historic mansion converted into a luxury boutique hotel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with training on the Wake Forest campus. Argentina, the reigning champion, would be staying at the Origin Hotel according to the Kansas City press, a riverside establishment · sources, both local and international, still differ on its exact location.
When hotel comfort becomes a tactical weapon
Beyond the standing, these choices reflect a shift: the hotel industry has become a performance tool, even to the point of recreating the final’s pitch at a training camp. As for prices, the predicted surge was real but uneven: in New York, occupancy reached 90% and the average price was nearly $460 per night during France-Senegal, with rates jumping 80% after the draw · but ten US host cities are ultimately showing prices below forecasts, as demand has not followed everywhere.
From Ronaldo’s Four Seasons to the English team’s inn, the 2026 World Cup confirms one thing: at this level, choosing your hotel is already preparing for the final. It remains to be seen which of these headquarters will house the champions on July 19 at MetLife.
