ATLANTA (May 21, 2026) – The International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF), in conjunction with U.S. Soccer, has announced that the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Ga., just south of Atlanta, will play host to the Men's and Women's IFCPF World Cup from Oct. 12-24, 2026.
The first IFCPF World Cup to be staged in the United States will feature a combined 20 national teams from six continents, with the Men’s competition featuring 12 teams as well as eight Women’s teams, marking the largest international tournament field in Women’s CP football history.
“Hosting the IFCPF World Cup at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center is a huge moment for U.S. Soccer and for CP football,” said Stuart Sharp, Head of U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams and U.S. Men’s CP National Team Head Coach. “The U.S. Way is about creating the right environments for our national teams to perform at the highest level, and the National Training Center is a major part of that ambition. To bring the best CP national teams in the world to Atlanta, compete on home soil, and showcase elite international football in our own environment is exactly the type of opportunity we should be creating.”
U.S. Soccer has fielded and supported a Men's CP National Team for more than 30 years, with the Women’s CP National team beginning in 2022. As two important parts of U.S. Soccer's Extended National Teams program, the CP National Teams, and by connection, hosting the IFCPF World Cup, all stand in service to soccer in the United States by showcasing both strong National Team environments, but also direct pathway connections to U.S. Soccer's membership, namely CP Soccer. The U.S. CPMNT will enter the tournament fresh off capturing their first-ever Copa America crown last October in Uruguay, while the U.S. CPWNT will look to regain their world champion status after claiming the inaugural IFCPF Women's World Cup in 2022, before finishing as runner-up in 2024.
"I was fortunate to witness Cindy Parlow Cone and the entire U.S. Soccer staff be very supportive of disability football and the growth of U.S. Soccer's Extended National Teams firsthand," said Ashley Hammond, the IFCPF CEO, who previously served as Chair for U.S. Soccer’s Disability Soccer Committee. "I saw such an amazing commitment that when I became CEO of the IFCPF, it seemed like a natural fit to me to bring the World Cup to the U.S. because I knew there'd be huge support. It was a little serendipitous that the National Training Center was opening at the same time, so that and the incredible support that U.S. Soccer has given to disability soccer in general just made it the perfect fit."
CP Football features athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Stroke or Traumatic Brain Injury. The men’s discipline of the sport is a 7v7 game, played on a field measuring 70 by 50 meters, while the women’s discipline is a 5v5 game, played on a field that is 40 by 27 meters.
More information on the IFCPF World Cup Draw and Tournament Schedule, as well as ticketing information on how fans can attend games to support the U.S. National Teams and the sport of CP Football, will be announced soon.
Important Info on the 2026 IFCPF World Cup:
- Men's World Cup (12 teams): Oct. 12-24, 2026
- Women's World Cup (8 teams): Oct. 14-23, 2026
- Held every two years (last edition in Salou, Spain)
- First time the IFCPF competition will be staged in the USA
Qualifying:
- Men: qualify through regional competition
- Women: open application
