As the World Cup descends on the U.S., Mexico, and Canada this month, each of the tournament-record 48 teams is settling into its selected home base of a paired training facility and hotel.
Some are moving into professional soccer training centers. Others are setting up shop at colleges and universities.
Four top teams—FIFA-ranked No. 2 Spain, No. 8 Morocco, No. 11 Croatia, and No. 19 Switzerland—chose elementary and high schools.
From San Diego to New Jersey, two boarding schools, a private K–12 school, and one Jewish day school are hosting national teams this summer. Each of these elite private schools has hosted a soccer club at least once before, and is known within the sport for the privacy and facilities it can provide traveling teams.
Three of the four high schools are not located in the immediate vicinity of any World Cup stadiums, and teams are traveling hundreds of extra miles to go there. For at least the next few weeks, Lamine Yamal will be training in Chattanooga; Luka Modrić in Alexandria, Va.; and Granit Xhaka in San Diego.
