Forty-eight national football teams are now embedded across North America, setting up training bases for a World Cup that is unprecedented in both scale and geographic footprint. The tournament, which kicked off on June 11, is the first to feature 48 teams and the first to be co-hosted by three nations.

Of those 48 Team Base Camps, 39 are located in the United States, spread across more than 20 cities in 19 states. Seven teams chose Mexico, and two set up shop in Canada.

The logistics of housing a continent-sized tournament

By May 25, all 48 participating nations had confirmed their training locations. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19. That’s nearly six weeks of continuous competition, meaning teams that advance deep into the bracket will be living at these camps for over a month.

Here’s the thing about a 48-team World Cup: it’s a 50% expansion over the 32-team format that had been standard since 1998.

Iran’s camp relocation and the geopolitical backdrop

Iran was forced to relocate its training camp to Tijuana, Mexico, after US visa denials for members of its staff. Tijuana sits just south of the US border, which at least keeps Iran relatively close to American venues.

Crypto meets the beautiful game

On June 9, two days before the tournament opener, Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The partnership is aimed at promoting crypto adoption among fans in North America and Europe.

Chiliz and Avalanche both received mentions in connection with the tournament opener, where Mexico beat South Africa 1-0. Chiliz has long positioned itself as the infrastructure layer for fan tokens, while Avalanche’s involvement suggests broader blockchain utility beyond simple collectibles.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup saw similar dynamics with fan tokens, where prices surged on hype and retreated once the tournament ended.