KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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Lawrence 2026 announced Thursday Algeria has selected Rock Chalk Park as its base camp for the 2026 World Cup.
BEHIND THE SCENES | Rock Chalk Park
Rock Chalk Park, located in west Lawrence at 6100 Rock Chalk Drive, is home to the University of Kansas' women's soccer and softball teams. The complex houses a soccer pitch, tennis center, ballpark, and a track and field stadium.
Algeria, which ranks No. 28 in the FIFA World Ranking, will play two group stage matches at Arrowhead in June. Its first match will be against Argentina on June 16, and the team will face Austria in its third match on June 27. Algeria will face Jordan in the San Fransisco Bay Area Stadium on June 22.
Multiple teams toured the facility in 2025, according to Jason Booker with KU Athletics. He said countries seemed interested in Midwest base camp sites due to their centralized location and distance from both coasts.
KSHB 41 News got a behind-the-scenes look at Rock Chalk Park in May 2025. KSHB 41 Douglas County reporter Lily O'Shea Becker previewed the possibility of a World Cup team setting up a base camp at the park, which has a laundry room, a medical room, a weight training room and more amenities ready to serve on-the-road teams.
If Algeria opts into having open practice days, Booker said fans could fill the 2,000 seats around the pitch and an additional 4,000 fans could watch from the lawn that surrounds the field.
Booker said the pitch soil at Rock Chalk Park was tested and holds up to any English Premier League soccer pitch.
In addition to a team, its entourage and fans, press from around the world will be traveling for the World Cup. Booker said the tennis center at Rock Chalk Park would be able to accomodate press conferences if needed.
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