3 minute read
Real Ready: Hosting A Soccer PowerHouse
REAL READY HOSTING A SOCCER POWERHOUSE
Written by Candice Temple & Photos by David L. Williams II
If you’re a soccer fan, you most certainly felt the excitement pulsing throughout our community this summer over some very special visitors. In June, the City experienced its highest-profile private rental ever when one of the world’s top professional soccer teams, Real Madrid, chose the Gardens District Park as its base camp while training for the FIFA Club World Cup.
As a private facility rental, not many details were released to the public due to security and contractual obligations. Now that the training is complete, we can bring you up to speed on all that went into creating a world-class training facility right here in Palm Beach Gardens. On fields 1 & 2 of the park, temporary buildings equipped with air conditioning, plumbing and seating were erected at the team’s request. The perimeter was contained by privacy-screened fencing. Fans came out in droves hoping for even just a peek at their favorite player.
It all started in early January 2025 when City staff were approached by the soccer club and met with them to understand what they were looking for in a host site. From the start of the partnership with Real Madrid, collaboration led to a lengthy list of requirements that the team and players needed to support their work. Real Madrid would pay for the cost of the entire project, including security. Any equipment remaining after the training became the property of the City.
Palm Beach Gardens has a special events planning team with representatives from multiple departments coming together to lend their ideas and expertise. This included staff from Finance, Risk Management, Sports, Parks, Operations, Public Communications and more. The team was responsible for creating a viewing area for the media and team VIPs. Palm Beach Gardens Police provided a security escort from the team’s sponsor hotel to the park on each training day and provided on-site security throughout the three-week camp.
The city also formulated the plan for an indoor gym, complete with restrooms, showers and a relaxing hospitality area so the players had everything they needed at a single location.
“It was quite the undertaking,” shared Sport & Special Facilities Director Tim Ford. “We ran internet across the park. We installed sewer and water lines. The structures that you see are massive.”
The end result? Lush grass so green that the images looked photoshopped. And rave reviews from Real Madrid Dani Ceballos who even commented to international media that the facility was one of the best training setups he has experienced in the United States.
“It took a total team effort,” adds Deputy Community Services Administrator Cory Wilder. “That’s what we pride ourselves in and as a result of that we get to host world-class talents like Real Madrid.”
