For the first time, FIFA has confirmed a list of Team Base Camps for the tournament scheduled to kickstart in the next year. A Team Base Camp is a dedicated team site comprising accommodation and training arrangements. A full list of Team Base Camps will be available for selection by the Participating Member Association in October 2022.
The Team Base Camps will be spread across the hosting countries – Australia and New Zealand.
According to the latest sports news, a total of 35 options will be set up in Australia for 16 Participating Member Associations. These options will be in 5 host cities and 11 other regional cities.
A total of 21 options will be identified in New Zealand for the remaining 16 Participating Member Association across 4 host cities and 5 other regional cities.
Participating Member Association will be able to select and submit their preferred site after October 22, 2022, when the Draw for the Tournament has concluded in Auckland/Tamaki Makaurau. 29 teams that have qualified will initially submit their preference which the authorities will confirm by the end of this year.
The location allotted to a team will not impact the odds displayed on FIFA betting sites. The players will have equal access to the best facilities that will enable them to prepare for the tournament without a single break or inconvenience.
The remaining 3 teams will select their preferred site after qualifying for the tournament from the play-off scheduled in February 2023.
Since only qualified teams can submit their selection, it is mandatory for the remaining teams to win the playoffs and enter the final list before reviewing the available Team Base Camps. The eligible Participating Member Association of the 29 teams will have the opportunity to go to the nation in which they are selected to play the group stage matches before submitting the selection.
Additionally, Venue Specific Team Hotel and Training Sites have also been confirmed. These are aligned to 10 match venues, with 8 in New Zealand and 10 in Australia. Venue Specific Team Hotel and Training Sites will be used for the preparation of the tournament on a day before the match is scheduled. Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Center has been chosen to host the training of referees.
Listing Team Base Camps is not the only first in FIFA Women’s World Cup history. It is also for the first time that the number of teams has gone up to 32 from 24 as was in 2019. For the first time that two regions will co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and it is the first to be organized in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Team Base Camp has been described by FIFA as a home away from home. It will remain dedicated to the assigned team until the end of the competition period. The entire delegation will share accommodation and training sites.
