World Cup Soccer Meets Crypto in Unlikely Chattanooga Partnership

Spain's national soccer team has chosen an unlikely location for their World Cup preparations: Chattanooga, Tennessee. The city of roughly 180,000 people is hosting one of the most decorated squads in international soccer history.

The Baylor School will serve as the training camp base for La Roja, with their first group-stage match against Cape Verde scheduled for June 15 in nearby Atlanta. This gives the squad about ten days to acclimate, train, and try out Chattanooga's restaurant scene.

Chattanooga was chosen for its privacy. Unlike major cities like Miami or New York, it doesn't attract a large number of paparazzi, allowing players to focus on preparation without distractions.

A video of Spain's motorcade rolling through Chattanooga went viral, racking up 8.6 million views on X (formerly Twitter).

The team will begin their first full training session around June 11 or 12, with the coaching staff managing jet lag and logistics before ramping up tactical work ahead of the Cape Verde match.