SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A post shared by the Switzerland national football team is going viral as they shared a map of their training facility in San Diego ahead of the World Cup — and it shows an interesting warning for fans and players.
San Diego is no stranger to rattlesnakes, but Switzerland does not have them in the wild. At all. So, maybe that’s why the Switzerland national football team is warning fans and players that the area outside their training facility in Carmel Valley in northern San Diego County is off-limits because of snakes.
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A rendering shared on the team’s Instagram of their training facility at the San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) shows the goalkeeper area, training pitch, dressing area, gym area, and, in red, a “snake area” in the surrounding canyon and brush.
Rattlesnakes are common in San Diego. The county says they are mostly found in rural or canyon areas and when the weather warms up. While Switzerland does not have wild rattlesnakes, the country does have venomous vipers.
Snapdragon Stadium hosting international soccer matches this weekend
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place June 11 through July 19 with 48 countries competing in the international soccer tournament.
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The Swiss FIFA World Cup 2026 Team Base Camp training grounds at SDJA will be home to the team for several weeks.
Switzerland’s soccer players arrive at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego, Calif, Tuesday, June 2, 2026 for the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
New Zealand is also training in Southern California at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium ahead of their June 15 world cup match vs IR Iran in Los Angeles.
Both teams are staying at San Diego area hotels while in town.
Switzerland is going up against Qatar in the world cup match on June 13 in Santa Clara before their matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 18 in Los Angeles.
US men’s soccer loses to Germany in final World Cup warm-up
Over the weekend, Switzerland competed among three other teams at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium in friendly matches as they prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament that begins next week.
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Here’s where the 48 teams are training for the world cup: 39 base camp training sites are in the United States, seven are in Mexico and two are in Canada.
Sports: Padres | Wave FC | SDFC
San Diego FC will be hosting a month-long soccer celebration along Mission Beach, from June 11 to July 19. There will be appearances by SDFC players, coaches and club personalities, on-site FOX 5 talent, fan activations, live music, cultural performances, giveaways, pop-ups, interactive fan experiences, exclusive merchandise drops and more.
Legoland is also transforming for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a limited-time, high-energy soccer celebration from June 11 to July 19, featuring LEGO soccer heroes, interactive soccer games and “epic” LEGO build activities. Miniland USA’s LEGO SoFi Stadium is also getting a soccer transformation for the world cup.
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Find more local FIFA World Cup news at fox5sandiego.com/sports/world-cup
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