Westmont College and Goleta to Host FIFA World Cup Teams

MONTECITO & GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – Elite soccer players will be making themselves at home in Montecito and Goleta next month while they prepare to compete in FIFA World Cup 2026.

Westmont College in Montecito is hosting Qatar and their partnership comes with some perks.

The team has improved the pitch and is setting up an outdoor training area.

"For our athletic program an the college this is just an incredible honor to have our facilities hosting one of the biggest events in the entire world of sport, and for our athletes and our administration and all the people that pour so much time into what we do here this is an honor for us," said Westmont Athletic Director Robert Ruiz.

Goleta is hosting Austria and the team will be preparing at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium.

"I think Goleta is over the moon, too we already made a slash with the splash pad and now we have this exciting news about the Austria national team coming to Goleta and bringing world class soccer to Goleta," said councilmember James Kyriaco.

Kyriaco said the community will be invited to watch parties at the Goleta Community Center and some special events at the stadium.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11th, but the teams will arrive on the Central Coast next week.

The longer they stay in the cup the longer they will stay in the area to train.

Westmont's colors are similar to Qatar's maroon and white.

Fans may watch a countdown clock at https://fifa.com

They can also follow the https://cityofGoleta.org and https://westmont.edu

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