Chattanooga has been selected as the official Team Base Camp Host City for Auckland City Football Club (Auckland City FC) of Auckland, New Zealand, during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, taking place June 11-July 19, 2025.
This marks a historic milestone as the tournament comes to the United States for the first time. As part of their Chattanooga Team Base Camp experience, Auckland City FC will train at Baylor School’s state-of-the-art soccer complex, designated as the official Team Base Camp Training Site, and stay at the historic Read House Hotel.
“Chattanooga is being recognized on the world stage as a great soccer city, and I can’t wait to show Auckland City FC some Chattanooga hospitality as they prepare for and play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Chattanooga as a city and Auckland FC as a team share an underdog identity and a fighting spirit. Like Chattanooga, Auckland FC have proven they can compete with–and beat–the big guys, inspiring the world by finishing third in the 2014 edition of this tournament. I hope every Chattanoogan will embrace the players, staff and fans of Auckland City FC, making them feel at home here and supporting them in their matches.”
"We are thrilled to host Auckland City FC at our soccer complex and are excited to partner with the City of Chattanooga to showcase our hospitality," said Baylor’s Head of School Chris Angel ’89. “Baylor has always had a global focus, and we are honored and thrilled to be selected as a training site for such a prestigious global sporting event.”
“We’re honored to be part of this historic moment as the FIFA Club World Cup comes to the U.S. for the first time,” said Barry White, CEO and President of the Chattanooga Tourism Co. “Auckland City FC brings a warm, welcoming spirit that feels right at home here. While their focus will be on training and preparation, we hope they also enjoy the hospitality and beauty that define our community. We’re proud to welcome Auckland City FC as part of the Chattanooga family, and we invite everyone to cheer them on throughout the tournament, especially during their match at GEODIS Park in Nashville on June 24.”
The FIFA Club World Cup brings together champion clubs from across the globe and is widely considered a key lead-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will also be hosted in the United States. Hosting Auckland City FC not only shines a global spotlight on Chattanooga but positions the city to potentially host national teams in 2026.
As part of Group C, Auckland City FC will face:
- Bayern Munich (Germany) – June 15 in Cincinnati, OH
- Benfica (Portugal) – June 20 in Orlando, FL
- Boca Juniors (Argentina) – June 24 in Nashville, TN
To learn more and view the full FIFA Club World Cup 2025 schedule, visit FIFA.com.