Last July, the Tampa Bay Rowdies welcomed SL Benfica to the Waters Sportsplex as the facility served as base camp for Portuguese club’s preparations for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

In addition to playing a scrimmage against the Portuguese giants ahead of their group stage games – held in Miami, Orlando and Charlotte – the 14,600-square-foot complex served as Benfica’s home for the tournament, where the side advanced to the Round of 16 before being knocked out by eventual title-winner Chelsea.

For the Rowdies, it reinforced the belief the club has one of the top training facilities in the United States, a belief that’s been reinforced by the Waters Sportsplex being included in FIFA’s list of 62 facilities that could serve as base camp for the 48 countries coming to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Rowdies are one of 10 USL Championship and League Two clubs who could welcome teams from around the globe for the quadrennial tournament. Here’s who else could welcome world-class talent around the USL ecosystem this year.

Birmingham Legion – Birmingham Legion FC Training Facility

Opened in 2024, Legion’s state of the art 9,000 sq. ft. training facility features spacious locker rooms, boot room, fully-equipped weight room, media room, player lounge and six full-sized outdoor grass practice fields. Additionally, it houses a physical therapy office and clinic staffed by UAB Medicine. 

Indy Eleven – Grand Park Sports Campus

The Boys in Blue have called Grand Park Sports Campus home since the club’s launch in 2014, with the facility standing as one of the United States’ premier multipurpose sports campuses. The facility is also home to Indy Eleven’s USL Academy teams and the club’s USL W League team, which plays home games at Grand Park in addition to calling the facility its training home.

Louisville City FC – Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center

Soccer Holdings LLC opened the permanent training facility for Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC in 2021. The facility features customized locker rooms for both clubs, a weight room, dining hall, media/film room and several fields, both grass for the pros and state-of-the-art turf used for the youth academy, camps, clinics and community events, and has hosted numerous clubs and national teams for training during their time in the city. 

Oakland Roots SC - Oakland Roots & Soul Training Facility at Harbor Bay Business Park

Oakland Roots moved into the five-acre facility that used to serve as the home of the Oakland Raiders in 2021 and more recently secured a long-term lease that will offer Roots and Soul top-level facilities at the performance center, recognized as one of the best soccer facilities in the United States. The facility has previously played host to prominent teams such as the Mexican Men’s National Team, C.D. Chivas, La Liga sides Real Sociedad and Sevilla, Wrexham F.C. and the Wales Women’s National Team, among others.

Oklahoma City – OKC Professional Soccer Training Facility

As OKC For Soccer’s new soccer-specific stadium takes shape ahead of the club’s launch, it’s already got its state-of-the-art professional soccer training facility in the heart of the Adventure District. Previously the home of OKC Energy FC, the facility was opened in 2016 and offers pristine infrastructure and first-rate accommodations a decade on.

Orange County SC – Great Park Sports Complex

Orange County SC’s Championship Soccer Stadium will celebrate its 10th season in 2026, with the facility also located within Orange County’s Great Park having served as an ideal home for the club since its opening. The Sports Complex features 24 full-size soccer fields, including six with floodlights, and additionally has a natural grass flex field – which can hold four natural grass full-size soccer fields – and six synthetic turf fields.

San Antonio FC – Toyota Field

San Antonio’s Toyota Field has featured its fair share of high-profile events over the past decade, including hosting the United States Men’s National Team and the Final of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup in addition to the numerous international exhibitions hosted by San Antonio FC against clubs from Mexico and Europe.

Tampa Bay Rowdies – Waters Sportsplex

The Rowdies saw SL Benfica use their 14,600-square-foot complex as base camp during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, adding the Portuguese giants to the list of clubs who have used the facility for preseason preparations and training ahead of major competitions since the Rowdies made upgrades after their takeover and renovation of the facility in 2022. Most recently, the Rowdies welcomed the United States Men’s National Team this past November.

FC Tucson – Kino Sports Complex

Originally built as a home for Major League Baseball’s Spring Training, since 2012 the Kino Sports Complex has served as a hub for preseason training for club across the American soccer landscape. The 155-acre property facility features six full-size grass fields including the stadium field that hosts USL League Two club FC Tucson’s home games.

FC Tulsa - Ascension St. John SportsPlex

The defending USL Championship Western Conference title-holder's facility spans 60 acres, including 200,000 square feet of indoor space, including an 8,000 square foot gymnasium. Upon the club's acquisition of the facility in 2023, the Scissortails acquired and upgraded numerous elements, and it now includes a professional-grade pitch, two indoor mini-pitches, a high-performance gym, spacious dressing rooms and advanced recovery areas such as cryotherapy, ice baths and Normatec systems.