Brazil’s base camp at the Red Bulls’ Columbia Park Training Facility puts Morris Township inside New Jersey’s wider World Cup operation, linking local sports infrastructure to hotel stays, business activity, transportation planning and public safety.
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ – Brazil’s men’s national soccer team arrived in New Jersey on Tuesday, June 2, with its first U.S. training session scheduled for later that day at Columbia Park Training Facility, the New York Red Bulls’ new performance center in Morris Township, according to Brazilian sports outlets covering the team’s arrival. The camp is part of Brazil’s official 2026 FIFA World Cup base camp training site as the five-time champion prepares for a Saturday, June 13, group-stage match against Morocco at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.
The Brazilian Football Confederation selected Columbia Park as its Team Base Camp training site, the Red Bulls announced in May. FIFA’s official base-camp list also names Brazil’s location as New York New Jersey and its training site as Columbia Park Training Facility.
The arrival brings one of international soccer’s most recognizable teams into Morris County less than two weeks before New Jersey begins hosting World Cup matches. New Jersey officials and the New York New Jersey Host Committee have said the state’s team base camps are expected to bring hotel stays, local business activity, tourism spending, global exposure and media operations to communities beyond the stadium itself.
Brazil is one of four national teams using New Jersey as a base camp. Haiti selected Stockton University, Morocco selected The Pingry School, Senegal selected Rutgers University, and Brazil selected Columbia Park in Morris Township, according to FIFA and state officials.
For Morris Township, the training site is the center of the local story. The Red Bulls said the Columbia Park complex sits on an 80-acre parcel and includes eight full-size outdoor soccer pitches, with a mix of heated and irrigated natural grass and turf surfaces. The facility also includes multi-angle camera tracking systems for analytics and player development.
The Red Bulls said the team base camp will include a custom building with fully equipped gyms, a dining hall, a medical suite, an innovation lab and physiotherapy spaces. The broader performance center also includes nutrition spaces, chef-supported dining, academic spaces, aquatic therapy areas and hydrotherapy areas, according to the club and MLS.
“We are very pleased with this decision,” said Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, according to the Brazilian Federation. “The Training Center is new, modern and offers all the conditions for our work, before and during the World Cup. I want to thank them for welcoming us and showing us all the space.”
The Red Bulls opened the new RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in April. Real Estate NJ reported that the campus at 103 Columbia Road includes an 88,400-square-foot main building and occupies a site that once included Honeywell International’s former headquarters, which became vacant after Honeywell moved to Morris Plains in 2015.
Brazil’s New Jersey base also extends beyond Morris Township. Brazilian reporting said the delegation traveled after landing to a hotel base in Basking Ridge, while training is being held at Columbia Park in Morris Township.
The first U.S. training activity was scheduled without press access, according to Jogada10. No source reviewed for this article listed public access for Brazil’s Morris Township practices.
The public-safety and transportation impact is expected to be most visible around match days in East Rutherford. NJ TRANSIT’s World Cup transportation plan says the regional system is being designed to move more than 78,000 spectators per match through stadium shuttles, rail, rideshare, permitted vehicles and limited premium parking.
The same plan says there will be no general spectator parking on stadium property on match days and that access will be limited to official transportation options. NJ TRANSIT also said rail service between New York Penn Station and Secaucus Junction will be limited to match-ticket holders during the four hours before kickoff, with regular service resuming outside the match windows.
State officials are also trying to connect World Cup visitors to businesses and public events outside the stadium. New Jersey launched the Welcome World Rewards Program on June 1, allowing visitors and residents to earn points by visiting participating small businesses and community events. The program builds on a $5 million state initiative supporting local fan experiences, watch parties, festivals and other community events tied to the tournament.
Brazil’s group-stage schedule begins in New Jersey against Morocco on Saturday, June 13, followed by matches against Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday, June 19, and Scotland in Miami Gardens on Wednesday, June 24. New York New Jersey Stadium is scheduled to host eight matches overall, including the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19.
For the Morristown area, Brazil’s training camp turns a new Morris Township soccer facility into part of a global tournament operation. The next local watch points are public advisories, business participation, regional traffic planning and any official updates tied to team movements or World Cup events in Morris County and the surrounding region.