One of the most famous teams in world soccer now calls Morris County home. The Brazilian Men’s National Team arrived in Morris Township on Monday to begin preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, selecting the Columbia Park Training Facility, the New York Red Bulls’ new performance center, as its official base camp for the tournament.
The arrival quickly became the talk of the township. Helicopters hovered overhead and soccer fans gathered along Columbia Turnpike hoping to catch a glimpse of players heading into the facility. The team is reportedly staying at The Ridge Hotel in nearby Basking Ridge while holding training sessions in Morris Township.
Brazil opens Group C play against Morocco on Saturday, June 13 at 6 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The group also includes Scotland and Haiti. Widely regarded as the most successful national soccer program in history, Brazil has won a record five World Cup titles, and its stay puts Morris County in the international spotlight for the next several weeks.
For fans hoping to watch a practice, officials are reminding residents and visitors that the training facility is a closed site on private property and is not open to the public. From June 1 through July 19, the facility and the private roadways around it will be closed during operations, with no spectators or through traffic permitted. The surrounding residences and roadways are also private property, and only residents and individuals accessing properties within the complex may use them.
While locals will not be able to watch the sessions in person, Morris Township will serve as the temporary home of one of international soccer’s most celebrated teams for as long as Brazil’s World Cup run continues.
