National coach Nagelsmann raves
DFB announces World Cup location in the USA
January 9, 2026 – 4:00 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Germany qualified for the World Cup in November. The group has been established since December. It is now clear where the DFB team will set up camp.
The German national team will camp at the World Cup in Winston-Salem in the US state of North Carolina. For DFB managing director Andreas Rettig, the DFB team’s accommodation in the “Graylyn Estate” hotel on the US east coast in North Carolina is even the “dream scenario”. The German national team has the “best possible conditions for a successful tournament,” he explains in a statement from the association. “The conditions are optimal – both in terms of sport and infrastructure,” Rettig praised the almost 100-year-old property, which is operated by the neighboring Wake Forest University.
Through cooperation, the DFB will also use the training opportunities on the university campus. “We have three football pitches here that are in very, very good condition and meet all the demands we have from a sporting perspective. And we can reach them on foot or by bike in less than ten minutes. That is a crucial factor,” explains national coach Julian Nagelsmann.
“We can already find a lot of things locally and don’t have to take everything with us from Germany. That makes things a lot easier for us logistically,” the DFB coach also praised the “unique collaboration” with the university. Since the team already has to travel long distances to the game locations, additional stress in everyday training should be avoided.
The DFB team flies almost three hours to the first preliminary round game in Houston. The journey to the games in Toronto (against Ivory Coast) and New York (against Ecuador) is just under two hours by plane.
The national coach is also reminded of the main sponsor Adidas’ base camp at the site. In Herzogenaurach, Franconia, as well as on the “Grayln Estate” complex, there is the possibility of getting together again and again, “but also having the necessary peace and quiet and retreat.”
The German national team will fly from Frankfurt to Chicago on June 2nd. The last test match before the start of the tournament against World Cup hosts USA will take place there on June 6th. Then we go to the team headquarters in Winston-Salem. On June 14th, the DFB team will play their first preliminary round game against Curacao.