How Winston-Salem Scored Big With German Nat’l Soccer Team As FIFA Non-Host Community

Pitch Perfect: High school soccer coach Jairo Roldan was drilling a group of soccer camp students at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, while a short distance away, German Men’s National Team captain Joshua Kimmich discussed FIFA World Cup strategy with 100 international journalists.

The impact of having close proximity to one of Roldan’s dream team “starting 11” players, was palpable.

“The fact that they chose Winston-Salem to practice means that they saw that the facilities were worth it,” says Roldan, who lives in Burlington, North Carolina. “They know that they need to find quality places to train, quality places to come and feel comfortable, and the fact that they chose it means a lot..”

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The German Men’s National Team is one of the most successful in FIFA history with World Cup wins in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014. A strong contender in 2026, Germany defeated Curaçao 7–1 in their opener and have upcoming matches vs Ivory Coast (June 20) and Ecuador (June 25).

The 2026 FIFA World Cup teams are spread beyond the 16 match host cities. FIFA confirmed 48 team base camps across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with 25 non-host communities welcoming national teams including Winston-Salem, Charlotte (Scotland) and Greensboro (Norway) in North Carolina and Nashville (Japan) and Chattanooga (Spain) in Tennessee among others.

Germany conducted an 18-month search before selecting Wake Forest and the nearby Graylyn Estate rather than using one of FIFA’s standard base-camp options. The team plans to stay in Winston-Salem throughout the series, which concludes July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Germany selected Wake Forest for its location and athletics facilities – including the 3,000-cap W. Dennie Spry Soccer Stadium and training fields. The nearby historic Graylyn Estate offers privacy and easy access to the university.

“With our Home Ground in Herzogenaurach, we found a place that allows the team to come together regularly while still providing the necessary peace and privacy,” offers German Men’s National Team Head Coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Reports indicate the German Football Association was willing to spend more than $1 million to secure the training and lodging environment it wanted. The team even brought in their groundskeeping specialist to help maintain the training surface amid North Carolina’s summer heat.

Nagelsmann said that having three excellent training pitches within a short walk or bike ride was a “decisive advantage” and praised the cooperation with Wake Forest and the city.

The feeling is mutual for longtime Wake Forest soccer coach Bobby Muuss.

“The expectations Germany has for facilities and from a host site are extremely high, and thus far I think Wake Forest and the City of Winston-Salem have exceeded their expectations, and everything’s going as smooth as we can ask,” Muuss said.

The practice fields are surrounded by tall security fencing covered in huge banners that say “Danke Winston-Salem / Thanks Winston-Salem.”

Winston-Salem tourism officials have described the partnership as a nod to the city’s German Moravian founders and an opportunity to generate international media exposure with up to 200 German journalists in the city as well as increased hotel, restaurant and visitor spending by attracting soccer enthusiasts and team family, friends, staff and sponsors.

“It creates enthusiasm and pride for the community while at the same time it’s drawing international and national attention for Winston-Salem, which is fantastic,” says Christian Schroeder, SVP of Sales for Visit Winston-Salem.