The Ghana Football Association is pleased to announce that Providence, Rhode Island has been selected as the Black Stars Team Base Camp for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, with Bryant University as the team’s training site.
“Rhode Island is honored to welcome The Black Stars,” said General Treasurer and Ocean State 2026 Chairman James Diossa. “They are a talented team with great depth and some young stars. It will be exciting to watch them make their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance and our state will be invested in their success knowing how they made Bryant University as their first choice in the selection process.”
“Bryant University is honored to welcome the Ghana Men’s National Team and to serve as its training base for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Bryant President Dr. Ross Gittell. “It is a recognition of Bryant’s best-in-class facilities and the global appeal of our campus and university. We look forward to the partnerships, the visibility, and the enthusiasm that this opportunity will bring to Rhode Island, New England, and well beyond.”
“We’re proud to welcome the Ghana Men’s National Team to Rhode Island,” said Governor McKee. “Hosting this team highlights Rhode Island on the international stage and will help build on our record-breaking tourism numbers, bringing even more visitors to our state. We look forward to working with our partners in Massachusetts and across New England to ensure a safe, exciting, and memorable summer for players and fans alike.
Training sessions will be closed to the public, but the Ghana Football Association is planning community programming for young players to be announced at a later date. Rhode Island Sports Commission Executive Director Jonathan Walker said, “We’re working hard to ensure that the FIFA World Cup leaves behind a legacy of passion for the sport and a commitment to growing the game of soccer in Rhode Island, partnering with the Black Stars will fuel these young players’ passion.”
The Black Stars will use Bryant’s 43,000-square-foot field house and state-of-the-art training, recovery, and wellness center. The pitches at Bryant University are maintained by the same groundskeeper who will be overseeing the pitches at Boston Stadium.
“Being selected as the Base Camp for Team Ghana underscores the caliber of Bryant’s campus, our commitment to excellence, and the intentional investments we’ve made to support high-performing student-athletes,” said Bill Smith, vice president for athletics and recreation. “It reflects the strength of our integrated approach to academics, athletics, and wellness while creating a moment of pride for our community and a strong connection between Bryant Athletics and the global game.”
“Today we announce that Ghana will be staying in Providence and we’d also like to extend an invitation to the fans and families to come to our city,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “We are committed to being a festive destination for soccer fans from around the world and look forward to announcing our fan experience plans.”
“I’m excited to welcome the Ghana Black Stars to Rhode Island and thrilled that Bryant University will be the team’s Base Camp training site for their FIFA World Cup 2026 run,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “I hope they will take advantage of all our great state has to offer and I cannot wait to cheer on these talented athletes.”
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the largest tournament in history, taking place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico and the United States. This will be Ghana’s fifth appearance in the tournament, having reached the quarterfinals in 2010. This year, Ghana will compete in Group L and will face Panama on June 17 (Toronto), England on June 23 (Boston), and Croatia on June 27 (Philadelphia).
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