Skip to main content
Monday, November 9, 2026Nov 9
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Spain and Chattanooga connected long before FIFA World Cup 2026

Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / The Spanish cannon in Fountain Square in downtown Chattanooga, seen July 2, 2026, was captured during the Spanish-American War. It was loaned to the city by the U.S. government.
Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / The Spanish cannon in Fountain Square in downtown Chattanooga, seen July 2, 2026, was captured during the Spanish-American War. It was loaned to the city by the U.S. government. Staff photo by Larry Sullivan II / The Spanish cannon in Fountain Square in downtown Chattanooga, seen July 2, 2026, was captured during the Spanish-American War. It was loaned to the city by the U.S. government.

By Kailee Shores 6 min read

The Spanish national team’s month-long stay in Chattanooga during the group stage of the FIFA World Cup was not the first time Spanish culture visited the Scenic City.

La Roja called the downtown Embassy Suites home and used the soccer facilities at Baylor School for training during the team’s stay. The team moved out on June 30 after defeating Uruguay to win the group stage. Spain heads to the final July 19 after defeating France 2-0 Tuesday.

The world’s favorite sport was in the spotlight in Chattanooga, with fans lining the streets each time Spain departed from and returned to the Embassy Suites. Over 100 international press members were credentialed to cover Spain while the team stayed in Chattanooga.

(READ MORE: Lamine Yamal makes young fans’ dreams come true at Baylor)

Leo Carbajal, 7, of Indianapolis, went viral after Spain’s Lamine Yamal signed his flag outside of the Embassy Suites. Yamal posted a photo of the boy on Instagram, and Carbajal became known by fans around the world as “Mini Lamine Yamal.”