Thousands of fans get chance to see Team USA practice in Irvine ahead of first World Cup game
· Yahoo Sports
The start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is just a few days away at SoFi Stadium, and the U.S. Men's National Team has arrived in Southern California.
They were on the pitch at Great Park in Irvine on Monday, practicing for their opening round match against Paraguay. There was no trophy or title on the line, but you wouldn't know that from the atmosphere.
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Approximately 5,500 fans showed up to the park to watch Monday's practice after winning tickets in a lottery system.
"In my backyard! I've got my team in my backyard!" said Irvine resident Amir Aftabi.
"I'm lucky I'm going to be going to two games, but the tickets were really expensive, so I know for a lot of people, to be able to be here and even see the team play or train one time is such a great privilege," said Kevin Shirka from Mission Viejo.
Monday's practice at Great Park was the only practice open to the public, so the next time fans will get a chance to see the team will be during their first game on Friday in Inglewood.
Hundreds of employees from the city of Irvine have been preparing for this day.
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Making the facility the team's home away from home has been years in the making. Irvine was selected by FIFA, and for the past couple of years, the Great Park and the city of Irvine were doing tours with different countries, but it wasn't until January of 2026 that they found out the U.S. Men's Soccer team had picked them.
"It's a terrific opportunity, of course, for all of us, and it's, I think, emblematic of what it means to live together in a sense of community and for the moment, at least, all be on the same team, pulling in the same direction. So it's very meaningful for our community," said Irvine Mayor Larry Agran.
Eyewitness News was told that more than 32,000 people entered the lottery system to try to snag two tickets.
"It's just like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We didn't secure tickets at the World Cup. This is the next best thing," said Yorba Linda resident Angela Ortiz. "We're local Orange Countyans, so to be able to come here and experience it, it's going to be so fun."
"This will probably be the closest I'll ever get to seeing the USMT, you know, with the FIFA prices and tickets, so it's really exciting," said Mili Dimas from Lakewood.
The basecamp now becomes the team's home away from home for the next few weeks, and players say the support shown on day one will set the tone for the tournament.
"We get to train in an actual stadium with a good pitch. The support that we just pulled up to with all the kids out there is amazing. But listen, you want to feel like you have a good home base, right? You have a place that you can not have to worry about all the little details off the field. Everything's been taken care of for us," said Tim Ream, the captain of the U.S. Men's National Team. "This is a once-in-a-career opportunity, and with that comes more expectations and more pressure, but at the same time, we have to enjoy it. There's nobody putting more pressure and more expectation on us than ourselves."
"You know, to be in a position to train in front of these people today, and hopefully play on Friday in front of all the fans and inspire them is such a unique opportunity, and one that none of us take for granted," said goalkeeper Matt Freese.
Carlos Sanchez is a local soccer coach in Orange County and says this rare opportunity will inspire young players with big dreams.
"Getting this youth to come out and see these guys train is such an amazing experience for them, and for me as a coach, to see these men come out here and represent us. I think they're going to do extremely well this year. And I'm looking forward to it," Sanchez said.
In addition to the championship soccer stadium at Great Park, there are two other fields and a world-class gym that was built for the team.