U.S. men’s national soccer team to base at Irvine’s Great Park; city to host public training and youth clinics

City staff on April 14 told the City Council that the Irvine Great Park has been selected as the U.S. men’s national soccer team base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Steven Stewart, community services superintendent, said the selection places Irvine “at the center of a global event” and outlined two community opportunities tied to the partnership: a free, public training session on Monday, June 8, and a community activation through US Soccer Forwards on April 26 for local coaches, educators and youth.

Sam Zapata, identified himself as the team manager for the U.S. men’s national team, thanked the city and said the team wanted to establish a legacy beyond training. “We’re here to represent you,” Zapata said, and he detailed the team’s plans to engage youth and community members through clinics and a special public training session. The presentation included an offer from the team to present a team jersey to the council.

City staff described the arrangement as an operational partnership around team training and community activations; the item was presented as a receive‑and‑file presentation and required no council action. Council members expressed appreciation and congratulated staff on recruiting the national team base camp. The item was followed by a brief public comment period with residents thanking the council for the opportunity and asking for more public events tied to the team’s presence.

Ending: The council received and filed the presentation; staff said more details about the community events would be released as they are finalized.