Hotel du Pont considered for team base camps for FIFA 2026

WILMINGTON — When the eyes of international soccer fans turn to Philadelphia for matches in the FIFA World Cup in two years, there may be a chance that visiting soccer teams are taking up their base camp in Wilmington.

The Hotel du Pont has submitted a bid for consideration as a Team Base Camp, headquartered by the Philadelphia Union soccer club. As the “home away from home,” that means Delaware’s famed hotel may host soccer players, family members, managers, media members and friends and family.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be staged in 15 sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Six matches will be held in Philadelphia — including one set on July 4, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

National tourism officials and FIFA representatives said the World Cup could bring $460 million in total output in business sales, while another $262 million is estimated for direct tourism sales. However, these estimates were prepared before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delaware Tourism Director Jessica Welch was excited at the prospect of Hotel du Pont playing a small role in the international sports scene, noting that her colleague Sports Sales Leader Ryan Wolfe had been meeting with the Philadelphia planning committee to keep the First State on the mind.

“We’re hearing that they’re expecting about 100,000 hotel rooms would be needed and they certainly don’t have that in Philadelphia alone,” Welch told the Delaware Business Times. “We definitely want to tap into that in any way, but the Hotel du Pont has had significant experience with high-level guest experiences.”

Recent high-profile guests include Tiger Woods, who helped manage player meetings at the Hotel du Pont during the week of the BMW Championship in 2022. State officials said that Elon Musk, who came to Wilmington for his day before the Delaware Court of Chancery, also stayed at the famed hotel.

Hotel du Pont Director of Sales and Marketing Tim Paulus declined to comment on past guests, but said he hoped that the hotel’s proposal was chosen to demonstrate the world-class hospitality it has to offer.

“The process is still ongoing, but we hope to be a part of serving guests that may come to the most populous areas when it’s in the international spotlight,” Paulus said.

From a marketing standpoint, Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jennifer Boes is working to coordinate efforts across the state to maximize the tourism impact. That may include developing welcome bags with itineraries on Wilmington’s sights and attractions, as well as a branded gift to commemorate their time in the city. 

Early ideas also include geofencing ads to be used around Philadelphia alerting soccer fans of nearby attractions like Mount Cuba and Winterthur which are only a half hour away.

“This is a huge deal for the Hotel du Pont and for Greater Wilmington,” Boes said. “We want the World Cup players, staff and officials to feel very welcome when they are here, and we want to make sure they have a great experience in Wilmington.”

When it comes to hotel room inventory, Welch said it’s also possible for soccer fans to start looking downstate Delaware for more affordable rooms – especially for those who want to add a beach trip to their summer.

“It’s an hour and a half drive from Philadelphia to Milford and it’s not so bad. I do think our affordability compared to Philadelphia will be attracting some interest,” she said. “We’ll start reminding our hoteliers that this is coming up in two years and they’ll need some time to plan ahead.”