Formed in 1923, Villarreal CF spent many years climbing the ladder of Spanish football before making their top flight debut in 1998. Catching on quickly to life in LaLiga, Villarreal made their UEFA Champions League debut in 2005. Since then, the club has reached the Champions League semifinals in 2006 and 2022. The club has also qualified for the UEFA Europa League 12 times, and were crowned champions in 2021. The club is nicknamed El Submarino Amarillo (The Yellow Submarine) due to their renowned bright yellow kits and stadium.

Spanish National Team and Villarreal legend Marcos Senna will return to captain the team in Cary this summer, aiming to build on their 2024 run to the Round of 32.