Opening of national campus ushers in new chapter for Austrian football
Friday, May 15, 2026
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The Austrian Football Association has officially inaugurated its new ÖFB Campus with a day of activities for all ages – the latest milestone in an exciting time in the country’s football history.
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The inauguration of the new ÖFB Campus provided a day of celebration in Vienna ahead of the Austria men’s national team's first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1998.
The new central hub of Austrian football – part-funded by the UEFA HatTrick programme, which redistributes men’s EURO revenue back into the game – is now fully operational as the home of the country’s national teams, the ÖFB administration and a centre for coach and referee development.
Fans of all ages had a glimpse of the state-of-the-art facility this week as the ÖFB hosted a series of activities, including campus tours, a children’s football tournament, interactive activities and an official opening ceremony.
"The future of Austrian football is being created here," said ÖFB president Josef Pröll. "The campus is a symbol of unity; it stands for professionalism, cohesion, and progress, and is intended to inspire our youth."
"The future of Austrian football is being created here."
Spotlight on Austria
A day full of optimism
The opening kicked off with a football tournament for players from the under-8 to under-11 age groups. It took place in the 1,000-capacity campus stadium, which will host senior national team training sessions and matches for youth sides, with 40 teams from local clubs participating before an awards ceremony for the winners.
Tours of the campus also took fans behind the scenes into the national team’s changing rooms, fitness facilities, hotel, player lounge and Austria's national team bus while five interactive activities were available throughout the day on the campus pitches.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, a ceremony brought together representatives from sport, politics and business to officially open the campus.
Speaking during the opening, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: "I know how the players react when they have a home of football. They are more bonded together.
"The development of Austrian football is obviously very good, and now you have stability. Austrian football has a bright future."
How does UEFA HatTrick work?
UEFA HatTrick redistributes men’s EURO net earnings to European national associations in three ways:
- Investment funding every four years to allocate according to strategic priorities (€5 million per association). Each application is evaluated by our HatTrick Committee.
- Annual solidarity payments to help cover association running costs (€1 million each per season).
- Annual incentive payments: each association is eligible for incentive payments (up to €2 million per season) to implement various UEFA initiatives and standards.
Capitalising on recent momentum
Centred around the main stadium, the campus also features a six-floor headquarters building with areas for players, staff and media, three additional full-size training pitches, and an indoor all-weather training facility with another full-size pitch.
The inauguration comes at a historic time for Austrian football. The men’s national team is preparing for a first World Cup appearance in 28 years this summer, having reached the round of 16 at the past two UEFA EURO final tournaments.
The country is also set to host the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday 12 August, the first UEFA showpiece to be held in the country since it co-hosted EURO 2008 alongside Switzerland.