FIFA World Cup Comes to Atlanta

A process that’s been nearly a decade in the making is finally coming to fruition.

From the second it was announced in summer 2018 that North America would host the 2026 World Cup, America’s largest cities were in fierce competition to have matches played on their turf. After getting passed over for the 1994 World Cup, Atlanta — buttressed by its new and ever-expanding downtown infrastructure and multi-purpose arenas — made a compelling case to FIFA to serve as one of the host cities for this year’s edition. So compelling in fact that in June 2022, soccer’s international governing body smiled on Atlanta’s bid as the city was selected as one of the 11 U.S. hubs for the ’26 World Cup.

And this week — after the investment of millions of dollars and thousands of man hours Mercedes-Benz Stadium (temporarily rechristened as “Atlanta Stadium” for the planet’s largest sporting event) is finally able to showcase its futuristic retractable roof and 360-degree halo video display for hundreds of millions of soccer fans worldwide.

Over the next four weeks, Atlanta will be the setting of eight World Cup matches, the last of which will be one of the two semifinals, on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 15. With visitors from Spain, South Africa, Haiti, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia among other nations streaming through Atlanta in the ensuing weeks — not just for the matches themselves, but also the accompanying festivities at Centennial Olympic Park — the city will be one of the epicenters of the sporting world, less than two years before it hosts Super Bowl LXII in February 2028. Meanwhile, the Metro Atlanta Chamber has projected that the explosion of tourism will bring in well over $500 million in revenue for Atlanta.

“It’s much different than we’ve seen in the past with any other big event,” shared Dan Corso, Atlanta Sports Council president, when speaking to the AJT last week.

Whereas CFP National Championship Games and Super Bowls are essentially weeklong celebrations that welcome visitors across the nation, the World Cup festivities will entertain fans from all corners of the world for an entire month. And even when Atlanta Stadium is empty, the FIFA Fan Festival will be playing out downtown, offering Atlanta-area residents a chance to celebrate the world’s most popular sport through interactive games, watch parties for live matches, and food and beverages. And for those who were fortunate enough to score tickets to matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the nearby family-friendly fan festival is a perfect spot to indulge in pregame and/or postgame pageantry.

But the real economic impact will come from out-of-towners descending on Atlanta in need of lodging, dining, and entertainment. Whereas some World Cup-hosting cities have actually reported issues with filling up hotels, Atlanta has thus far steered clear of that surprising dilemma. And the mid-July semifinal game promises to usher in a massive new wave of visitors, perhaps ones from other states should the United States shock the world over the next few weeks. Even if the U.S. fails to go on a miracle run through the group stage and knockout rounds, soccer heavyweights Brazil, England, and Argentina all have to go through Atlanta on their road to the championship game on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J..

“You can consider Atlanta tracking as one of the top cities in the country,” said Corso when assessing the rates of hotel vacancies across the Greater Atlanta area. “It is picking up on a daily basis as we get closer.”

The World Cup may be one of humanity’s most cherished athletic events that galvanizes sports fans across all seven continents and celebrates a myriad of different cultural traditions. But as has been well-chronicled in past World Cups, the ardent fanaticism can occasionally cross the line and pose a security concern to those in attendance. This dynamic also separates the Super Bowl and CFP National Championship Game from the World Cup.

As such, the ever-diligent members of AMB Sports and Entertainment and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) have had to work overtime in the past year to get things in order for a sporting event of this magnitude. Many stadium security personnel, Atlanta police officers, and employees of the Georgia World Congress even went over to Germany and England to observe crowd control tactics and other security measures taken to prevent issues from escalating.

“We [America] don’t have violence in our sporting events, which is awesome,” noted Dietmar Exler, COO of AMB Sports & Entertainment, when being interviewed by the AJT shortly before the matches got underway. “If you come to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, for whatever event it is, football or soccer, it’s almost a family event

“Depending on who plays [in the World Cup], there is a bit of a security concern there. You need to watch which teams are playing and then adjust your security preparations according to who comes.”

While this week’s matches between Spain and Cabo Verde and Czechia and South Africa will provide an early litmus test as to how well-prepared Atlanta and MBS are, Corso believes that thus far, all parties have been working in tandem — as well as with FIFA — to orchestrate a first-class production.

“I think one of the strengths we have in our events is not just Mercedes-Benz Stadium and our infrastructure, but it’s also the cohesive coordination that happens between the partners getting ready for these events,” said Corso.

Looking ahead, there’s quite a bit on the line: Should the month-long series of events and festivities run relatively smoothly, Atlanta will remain in good standing for being a potential host city during the 2031 Women’s World Cup.