Chattanooga, Tennessee
Spain’s World Cup stars – led by teenage phenom Lamine Yamal – are coming to town, and for one city in Tennessee, life is about to change very dramatically indeed.
Chattanooga – nestled on the banks of the Tennessee River with a population of under 200,000 people – will soon find itself at the center of huge global attention after La Roja handpicked the private Baylor School as their training base camp for the initial part of the 2026 tournament.
It’s an interesting choice on the surface given Spain’s opening match against debutant Cape Verde takes place on June 15 in the heart of downtown Atlanta in the neighboring state of Georgia, 120 miles and about a two-hour drive away.
But when you’re the reigning European champion, ranked second in the world and your squad is stacked with many of the best and most famous players on the planet, you simply can’t put a price on seclusion and, of course, security.
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“I think it’s really important. In Chattanooga, we’re going to find the privacy in the training ground. When I was visiting the training ground, the facilities are amazing,” Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) technical director of development Aitor Karanka told CNN Sports.
“And on the other hand, we are going be in the hotel in the middle of the city, which is also good for the players to live and to go for a walk or to meet the people there if they have any time, and for the people in Chattanooga, the same. To feel that we are friendly, we are close to them and knowing that going together is going to be easier,” he added.
Spain also plays Saudi Arabia in Atlanta six days after the Cape Verde match. Meticulous planning and consideration went into choosing Baylor School and Karanka – a three-time Champions League winner during his storied playing days with Real Madrid – believes the decision to be based in the “Scenic City” is spot on.
“As soon as you put one foot on Baylor School, it’s amazing because you have everything. The players are going to have everything to train, to recover, to have fun, to have everything which is really important because we’re going to spend a long time there. So, it’s going to be really important and the facilities again, they are amazing.”
No stone has been left unturned in Spain’s quest for perfection in preparing for this World Cup as La Roja – under the astute leadership of head coach Luis de la Fuente – look to add to their 2010 triumph in South Africa.
“I said always that I found an amazing group of players inside the pitch, but they are even better outside the pitch. They are very good characters. The camaraderie in the changing room, it’s amazing. The coach is a top coach. His coaching staff works really well, so we are going there to try to win,” added Karanka.
“It’s true that this World Cup is going to be a lot of contenders and everybody will want to win. We want to win the World Cup, but we are going there with everything to try to win.”
To say excitement levels at Baylor School are rising would be an understatement as CNN discovered firsthand on a recent visit. And especially so when it comes to the boys’ soccer team, some of whose players are actually the same age as the 18-year-old Yamal.
The Barcelona superstar picked up a hamstring injury in April but was named in his country’s 26-man squad for the World Cup and is expected to continue his return to full fitness at Baylor.
“The Spanish national team, they’re a very passionate group, and they’re a very hospitable group, very welcoming. We feel that we have aligned really well with them, and that’s what’s made this a perfect pairing going into the World Cup,” Samantha Green, the school’s director of operations and systems, told CNN Sports.
“They liked the security of the pitch. You can that see that it’s covered in trees and we’ve kind of created a bubble for them back here. They liked that they could remain focused. They’re getting world-class facilities in a beautiful area. We have a big-city-feel small town as well so we offer them an opportunity to remain focused and have a secure environment so they can kind of keep their eye on the prize,” she added.
And as for those starstruck teens on the Baylor soccer team, they’re still pinching themselves in disbelief that Yamal – along with teammates like Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Nico Williams and Pedri – is actually going to be training on their very own campus.
“I’m 16 years old myself and seeing Lamine Yamal, that’s like a generational talent. Seeing him win the Euros, turning from 16 to 17 is a big motivation for me,” goalkeeper Matthew Ramirez tells CNN.
“It’s kind of humbling knowing we’re playing for a state championship and Lamine’s playing for a World Cup,” added his teammate Thomas Vance.
“It’s an unbelievable experience. I feel like no other high schooler gets to brag that they got the best player in the world right now playing at their campus,” Heath Techasiriwan, a senior on the team, told CNN Sports.
Defender Hunter McCoy offered this perspective: “I feel like it’s motivated us to play better throughout the season, knowing that Spain’s national team is coming. I feel like it’s given us a lot of hope and we just want to succeed this year.”
The school and its students aren’t the only ones excited about Spain’s arrival. The community as a whole is fully embracing the Spaniards’ time in Chattanooga. Amid heightened security, the European champions will be staying in the heart of downtown, just a short distance away from Baylor.
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<time datetime=”2026-06-05T11:00:08.654Z”>Updated Jun 5, 2026, 7:00 AM ET</time>
<time datetime=”2026-06-05T11:00:08.654Z”>Published Jun 5, 2026, 7:00 AM ET</time>
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<div class=”timestamp__published vossi-timestamp_elevate__published”>PUBLISHED <time datetime=”2026-06-05T11:00:08.654Z”>Jun 5, 2026, 7:00 AM ET</time></div>
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“This is the largest international sporting event in the world and we’ve been having communications with the federal government, the state government, and our local government to make sure we’re all in sync,” Tim Morgan, president of the Sports and Events Corporation, told CNN Sports. “We’re all aligned and we’re marching to the same drum.
“The energy we have seen so far has been absolutely amazing and they aren’t even here yet.”
Spain’s arrival in Chattanooga is even having an impact on the city’s culinary community.
“We plan to offer a couple of different, traditional paellas throughout the month of June and into July while the team’s here. I want to have the most authentic paella like when someone from Spain tries our chargrilled octopus, they’re maybe transported back for a second,” said Amanda Trotter, co-owner of Amada Tapas and Wine.
And on the off chance a hungry member of the Spanish national team should drop by one evening for dinner, what then?
“The pressure’s on and we’re going to offer the best five-star experience possible,” she added.
However Spain’s group stage matches pan out, the squad will be hoping time spent in Chattanooga will very much be a recipe for success later in the tournament and then, of course, there’s the enduring legacy superstars like Yamal will leave behind once the team moves on.
“He’s a phenomenal player, but it gives our guys something to go like that’s what I want to strive to play for. That’s what I want to strive to be. I want to try to play like that,” says Curtis Blair, director of soccer at Baylor School.
“I’m really trying to figure out how he has eligibility so we can keep him here for next year. So, if he wants a great education and wants to play, I’m sure Baylor can figure out a bed for him and we can keep him here!”
