Four international soccer clubs will be practicing in New Jersey sites ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup that kicks off at MetLife Stadium later this month.
Al Ahly FC from Egypt, Portuguese clubs CR Flamengo and FC Porto, and FC Salzburg from Austria will be arriving in the United States in the coming days and training in the Garden State, officials said. Al Ahly FC will practice at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge; CR Flamengo will be at Stockton University in Galloway; FC Porto will be based at Rutgers University in Piscataway; and FC Salzburg will train at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in Whippany.
Not all training sessions will be open to the public, but each club will announce its programming when it arrives in the U.S., officials said.
There are 32 teams from 20 nations participating in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup that starts June 15 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The tournament will have 63 matches in cities across the U.S.
The teams will be practicing in 14 states, including California and Florida.
“These sites and more significantly the people and communities that surround them will welcome the world’s best, providing first-class environments and hospitality in support of the teams,” FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years.