On Tuesday afternoon, the City of
Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Union, and Philadelphia Soccer 2026 announced that Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has chosen Subaru Park and the WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester, PA, as its official Team Base Camp training site for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Home of the Philadelphia Union since 2010 (then called PPL Park), Subaru Park, an 18,500-seat capacity venue located on the
Chester Waterfront, sits 15ish miles south of Lincoln Financial Field, where ‘Les Éléphants’ will play two of their 3 Group Stage matches ( June 14
th vs Ecuador, June 25
th vs Curaçao).
Côte d'Ivoire qualified for the World Cup for the first
time since 2014 after topping Group F of the CAF qualifiers under Head Coach Emerse Fae, who started his Senior playing career at Nantes in France, the former club of Philadelphia Union captain, Ale Bedoya.
Through 10 World Cup qualifying
matches, Les Éléphants put together an impressive showing of 8W-2D-0L while scoring 25 goals and not conceding a single time. Yes, the Ivory Coast posted a +25 goal differential in World Cup qualifiers and didn't concede a single goal.
High-quality performances call for high-quality resources, and WSFS Bank Sportsplex, a state-of-the-art, $100 million, 170,000-square-foot sports hub, will keep Côte d'Ivoire, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champion, ready to compete at the highest level
come time for the World Cup.
Equipped with seven outdoor and two indoor multiuse sporting fields, multisport courts for basketball, volleyball, and futsal, a two-story performance center with a weight room and sprint track, six locker rooms, recovery rooms, an event space, and a cafe for
athletes and guests, the Côte d'Ivoire squad will have everything it needs to prepare for the World's stage down in Chester.
"We've built one of the most unique sports campuses in North America specifically to support and develop world-class soccer, and there's no better validation of that vision than welcoming recent African champions to train here. From Chester to Wilmington to Philadelphia, this is an incredible opportunity to showcase the passion, hospitality, and excellence of our facilities and our soccer community on the global stage." - Tim McDermott, President, Philadelphia Union.
It was also announced on Tuesday that Côte d'Ivoire, making their first World Cup appearance since 2014, will
call Wilmington, Delaware, home during their trip to North America for the 2026 World Cup.
Wilmington, Delaware's biggest city with a population of around 70,000, is a quick 20-minute drive to
Subaru Park and about 35ish minutes to Lincoln Financial Field.
I wonder how the likes of Franck Kessie,
Les Éléphants' captain, who has played at both AC Milan and Barcelona, or Manchester United's young winger, Amad Diallo, will enjoy Wilmington, Chester, and the Philadelphia region as a whole.
I fully expect to see some of these guys doing the stereotypical "
Philadelphia" things on social media during their time here. Ya know, pretty much the same stuff we just saw Homer do while in the City of Brotherly Love on the 800
th episode of The Simpsons - Cheesesteaks at Dalessandro's, Pat's, and Geno's (maybe we can convince them to go somewhere else), Water Ice at Rita's (again, maybe we can be a good influence here), and running up the Rocky Steps (we, personally, won't be doing any running).
However, the players and staff from Côte d'Ivoire choose to
spend their time in the area. I hope everyone gives the team and their fans a warm welcome and enjoys the passion they'll bring to an already passionate city during this exciting, energetic time.
“This is a team to be reckoned with in the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Philadelphia, Chester, and our entire region love a team to be reckoned with. We welcome Les Éléphants to Philadelphia Union’s stadium as their home away from home and promise to show them the best of what we have to offer during their time here this summer." - Meg Kane, Host City Executive/CEO, Philadelphia Soccer 2026
