The South Coast will serve as an international soccer hub this summer when both Qatar and Austria establish their World Cup training bases in Santa Barbara County ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Westmont College in Montecito has been selected as the Team Base Camp for the Qatar men’s national team, while UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium in Goleta will host Austria’s national team during its tournament preparations.
The dual selection places Santa Barbara County among only a handful of communities nationwide chosen to host more than one team ahead of the world’s largest sporting event…