Inside Spain’s Home Away from Home in Chattanooga

Enduring beyond memory and grounded in a clear understanding of who they are and where they come from, a carefully curated collection of objects, moments, mottos, and cherished symbols accompanies the Spanish national team on its American journey in pursuit of a second World Cup star.

The base camp occupied by the players and coaching staff in Chattanooga has been transformed into Raíces, a conceptual and immersive project that, throughout the World Cup, has turned the Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel into a powerful tool for reinforcing identity, unity, and a sense of belonging. Through this initiative, the team is able to feel genuinely at home despite being thousands of miles away.

In every corridor, corner, and bookshelf, books, memorabilia, and fragments of history are displayed before the players, creating what might be described as a geological cross-section of Spanish football’s collective memory. The experience takes visitors on a compelling journey from the home World Cup of 1982 to the triumph in South Africa in 2010, while also revisiting some of the most unforgettable moments in the nation’s recent footballing history.

Thanks to the meticulous work of federation departments such as Production and Procurement, as well as Brand and Social Action, Raíces establishes a dialogue between generations that transcends the passage of time and the absence of beloved figures such as young María Caamaño, with whom the players celebrated their most recent European Championship triumph. In this way, the project combines design, lighting, sound, and exhibition elements to create an experience that goes far beyond the simple decoration of a space.

Now fully immersed in the intensity of World Cup competition, the players and coaching staff work each day upon the historical foundations laid by those who came before them, inspired by the collective heartbeat of 50 million Spaniards supporting them from afar. That support remains ever-present within this unique base camp in Chattanooga, from where the national team hopes to propel itself throughout the tournament in pursuit of the highest ambitions and the greatest achievements.