Japan's national football team has reportedly abandoned its original training base in Mexico ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after being left disappointed by the poor training conditions at the facility. The Samurai Blue, who had initially planned to use Tigres' training centre in Monterrey as their base camp during the tournament, decided to move elsewhere after assessing the venue.
Reports suggest that the Japanese football team was particularly unhappy with the quality of the training pitch and felt the facility did not meet the standards required for World Cup preparations.
Following the decision, Japan shifted its training plans and explored alternative venues in the region. The team first moved to a pitch operated by the Sports Medicine Faculty of the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (UANL) before later settling at El Barrial, the training complex of Monterrey FC (Rayados).
El Barrial is among the official training sites approved by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup and is considered better suited to meet the team's requirements. The move is expected to provide Japan with improved conditions as they prepare for football's biggest tournament.
Japan enter the World Cup as one of Asia's strongest teams and will be aiming to build on their recent success on the international stage. The Samurai Blue have established themselves as consistent performers at major tournaments and will be hoping for another memorable campaign in North America.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Japan have been drawn in a group featuring the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden with their tournament set to begin against the Dutch side.
