"I'm really trying to figure out how he has eligibility so we can keep him here for next year." That's the director of soccer at Baylor School in Chattanooga talking about Lamine Yamal — the 18-year-old Barcelona forward who, along with the rest of the Spanish national team, will be training on his campus ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Spain have chosen Baylor School, a private institution in Tennessee with a population of under 200,000, as their group stage base camp. The reigning European champions, ranked second in the world, wanted privacy, security, and top-level facilities. Apparently, they found all three at a high school in the American South.
It works logistically, just about. Spain's opening group game against Cape Verde is on June 15 in Atlanta — roughly 120 miles and two hours down the road. Their second group match against Saudi Arabia is also in Atlanta. Staying in Chattanooga means a manageable travel window while keeping the squad insulated from the noise that follows a team of this profile everywhere it goes.
Why Baylor School makes sense
Aitor Karanka, RFEF's technical director of development and a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid as a player, scouted the location personally. His verdict: "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."
Samantha Green, the school's director of operations, pointed to something more specific: the training pitch is surrounded by trees, effectively screened from outside view. For a squad containing Pedri, Rodri, Nico Williams, and Yamal, that kind of controlled environment matters. Spain don't want opponents getting footage of their sessions. They also don't want the daily circus that trails elite squads through city-centre hotels.
The plan is a hybrid setup — train at Baylor, stay downtown. Players get a bubble when they need focus, and the freedom to walk around a city that won't overwhelm them when they want a break.
A city genuinely buzzing
Chattanooga is leaning into this hard. Local restaurant Amada Tapas and Wine is planning traditional paellas and chargrilled octopus throughout June and into July. "The pressure's on and we're going to offer the best five-star experience possible," said co-owner Amanda Trotter.
The Baylor students — some of them the same age as Yamal — are predictably starstruck. "I'm 16 years old myself and seeing Lamine Yamal, that's like a generational talent," said goalkeeper Matthew Ramirez. His teammate Heath Techasiriwan put it more bluntly: "No other high schooler gets to brag that they got the best player in the world right now playing at their campus."
Yamal did pick up a hamstring injury in April, but he was included in Spain's 26-man squad and is expected to continue his recovery at Baylor. That's worth watching — he's central to how Luis de la Fuente's side create and carry the ball. If he's not fully sharp by the Cape Verde opener, Spain's attacking structure looks different. Their odds of going deep in this tournament are tied closely to how quickly he finds his rhythm.
For now, Chattanooga is counting down. "The energy we have seen so far has been absolutely amazing," said Tim Morgan of the Sports and Events Corporation, "and they aren't even here yet."
