The Turkish National Team’s World Cup Training Pitches Once Again Entrusted to IUAS

The training pitches where the Turkish National Football Team is preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States are once again being prepared by Isparta University of Applied Sciences (IUAS), just as they were for the 2024 UEFA European Championship.

 

Dr. Tuğrul Hocaoğlu, a faculty member at Yalvaç Vocational School of IUAS and also a Turf Pitch Inspector for the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), traveled from Türkiye to support the Turkish National Team, which is currently holding its training camp in the State of Arizona, United States. Dr. Hocaoğlu is overseeing and inspecting the training pitches used by the national team and preparing them for the players’ use.

 

Having previously served on behalf of IUAS during the preparations of the Turkish National Team for UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany, Dr. Hocaoğlu is now managing the inspection, maintenance, and preparation of the training pitches for the national team in Mesa, Arizona.

 

In 2023, Dr. Hocaoğlu, a faculty member at Yalvaç Vocational School, was also responsible for the preparation of the Atatürk Olympic Stadium for the UEFA Champions League Final held in Türkiye. By serving in the three most prestigious events in world football—the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA European Championship, and the FIFA World Cup—he has successfully represented Isparta University of Applied Sciences.

 

Commenting on the preparations for the World Cup, Dr. Hocaoğlu noted that the State of Arizona presents challenging conditions due to its extremely hot climate and stated:

 

“We are striving to create the most suitable conditions for our players. There are many factors that contribute to achieving success in a football match. As part of these factors, we are doing our utmost to ensure that our players can perform at their highest level on the playing surface. The matches are played in different countries and cities, while our training camp is being conducted in Arizona, where a desert climate prevails. Based on the turf performance at the training facilities here and the condition of the pitches on which our team will play, we are trying to implement the necessary scientific and technical interventions. Together with the national team’s technical staff, we are working to eliminate disadvantages and make adjustments that will create an advantage, turning the conditions of the turf surface in our favor for higher performance. Hopefully, as Isparta University of Applied Sciences, we will continue to support the Turkish National Football Team throughout this tournament as well.”