Historic Event Marked Beginning of Team’s stay in Goleta during the FIFA World Cup 2026
Twenty-five hundred excited fans including City of Goleta residents, members of the UCSB campus community, and representatives from local soccer clubs got a once in a lifetime chance to see the Austrian National Football Team in action up close at a community training session held June 5th, 2026, at UCSB’s Harder Stadium! The event was put on as a collaborative effort between UC Santa Barbara Athletics, Österreichischer Fußball-Bund (Austrian Football Association), and the City of Goleta. Watch this video to see what the excitement was all about and view a photo album here.
The training session kicked off with a performance by UCSB’s marching band followed by Team Austria, led by Head Coach Ralf Rangnick, taking the field to engage in drills. After the team finished their training, attendees had a chance to meet the team and get Team Austria gear signed. To end the community training session, young local soccer players headed out on the field to participate in training exercises.
Mayor Paula Perotte shared, “We are so excited to welcome Team Austria to Goleta, and to bring a world class soccer experience to our area! Thank you to Team Austria and UCSB for their partnership and for making this community event possible.”
The City of Goleta is proud to have been the team base camp host city for Team Austria and continues to wish the squad the best of luck in the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament!
The Team is moving on from the Group Stage to take on Spain in the Round of 32 on Thursday, July 2nd. This game will determine if Team Austria moves on to the next stage of the tournament.
Auf geh’ts, Burschen! Noch ein Tor!” (“Let’s go, lads! Another goal!”)
Pictured above: Tottenham Hotspur and Team Austria Centre-back Kevin Danso signs autographs
City of Goleta Staff and Councilmembers pose for a photo at the entrance to UCSB Harder Stadium alongside a Team Austria banner
City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte with Austria’s eagle mascot
Members of Team Austria’s coaching staff
Young athletes from Santa Barbara Soccer Club attend the training session
A young fan displays a commemorative Team Austria drawstring bag distributed to attendees as a souvenir of the event