Croatia selects Alexandria as home base for 2026 World Cup
National team to stay at Old Town's AKA Hotel, train at Episcopal High School during tournament
The Croatian national football team has chosen Alexandria as its base camp for the FIFA World Cup this summer, the Croatian Football Federation announced Thursday.
The Vatreni, as the team is known, will stay at the AKA Hotel in Old Town and train at Episcopal High School during the tournament, which will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Croatia was drawn into Group L alongside England, Ghana and Panama. The team will open play June 17 against England in Dallas before facing Panama in Toronto on June 23 and Ghana in Philadelphia on June 27.
The selection marks the second consecutive year that Episcopal High School will host an international football team during a major FIFA tournament. The school served as the training site for Al Ain FC of the United Arab Emirates during last summer’s inaugural FIFA Club World Cup.
Croatian officials said Alexandria beat out dozens of other potential locations across North America.
“We thoroughly analysed more than 60 potential base camps before the draw,” team manager Iva Olivari said in a statement.
A federation delegation visited eight potential sites in the northeastern U.S. and Canada before head coach Zlatko Dalić and his staff unanimously selected Alexandria as their top choice.
Technical director Stipe Pletikosa cited the city’s combination of quality facilities, proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and favorable location relative to Croatia’s group-stage match sites.
“From a sporting perspective, which is always our top priority, we will have truly top-class conditions at Episcopal High School — from the pitches and fitness facilities to recovery areas,” Pletikosa said.
The AKA Hotel, a 180-room property that opened in April 2023 near the Potomac River, has received multiple design awards for its work by Italian architect Piero Lissoni. The hotel sits about six minutes from the airport.
Episcopal High School’s athletic complex, roughly 15 minutes from the hotel, features a regulation football pitch, fitness center with running track, full gym and recovery facilities including hydrotherapy and cryotherapy.
Croatia will get an early look at its World Cup surroundings during a series of March friendlies in the United States, The Athletic reported. The team will face Colombia on March 26 and Brazil on March 31, both at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Croatia, a perennial World Cup contender, finished third at the 2022 tournament in Qatar and reached the final in 2018.