Hey FIFA, Atlanta says it’s ready for the World Cup
Six months before Atlanta hosts its first 2026 FIFA World Cup match, fans and fanatics gathered in Buckhead to witness history.
On Friday, the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee threw a block party outside Fado Irish Pub in Buckhead Village to witness a broadcast of the live draw.
Atlanta is set to host eight World Cup matches: June 15, 18, 21, 24 and 27 in the group stage, a knockout-round match July 1, a Round-of-16 match July 7 and a semifinal July 15.
Although the official announcement of which teams will play in Atlanta won’t come until noon Saturday, that didn’t stop boasts of the city being dubbed “the soccer capital of America,” and diehard supporters rocking their countries’ flags, kits and pride on a chilly afternoon.
Decatur resident Cassie Gooding wore an American flag as a cape, proudly showing off her team scarf to boot. She’s played and watched soccer throughout her life. She plans to watch games at FanFest coming to Decatur Square.
“Events like this, like the Olympics, they really bring people together, and just the camaraderie that exists for the span of the tournament is just going to be so welcome,” she said.
Gooding has attended three Women’s World Cup events, and said Atlanta is an ideal home to host arguably the biggest tournament on the globe. “I think Atlanta is a super multicultural city,” she said, noting the fan representation she saw in the crowd, from Haiti, Belgium, Senegal, Ghana, France and other countries.
“It’s very internationally friendly.”
Along with the United States, Mexico and Canada are co-hosts for the tournament.
Toronto transplant Manny Divedia was rocking his Canada jersey, grinning ear to ear when Prime Minister Mark Carney drew the first ball that placed Les Rogues in Group B.
The Cobb County resident recently moved to metro Atlanta and said he can already see why his new digs make sense to host a World Cup.
“It reminds me of Toronto, which is also very diverse,” he said. “I feel like I’m at home.”
‘Spirit of Atlanta’
With 48 teams competing for the FIFA World Cup trophy, this is the largest tournament in history. It’s a fact that Mayor Andre Dickens said explains why this moment means “big bragging rights for” Atlanta.
“You can feel the spirit of Atlanta out here right now,” he said.
“It’s the same spirit you feel every single day in the city of Atlanta: pride and excitement and ready to welcome the whole world to Atlanta.”
Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee, said not just Atlanta, but Georgia is uniquely positioned to showcase its rich soccer history.
When he hears folks call Atlanta an epicenter of soccer in America, that’s influence that extends OTP, as well, because of the Peach State’s successes from youth to professional levels of the game.
“While the matches will be downtown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, we see this as a regional and a statewide hosting. So we’ve been promoting opportunities for communities around the state to have watch parties or festivals like you’re seeing here, big, small, whatever it may be,” he said.
One of those local success stories is U.S. Men’s National Team defender Walker Zimmerman. The Lawrenceville native captained the U.S. to a CONCACAF Gold Cup title in 2021 and was on hand outside Fado, taking selfies with fans.
Zimmerman joked that he was only 1 year old when the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup, but he’s been a witness and party to soccer’s growth stateside ever since.
“Soccer has expanded and blown up, and obviously with the Atlanta United here, all these fans coming out, it’s awesome, man,” Zimmerman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution before the draw.
How does he like his squad’s odds? His response came with a smirk: “Talk to me afterward.”
The U.S. landed in Group D, alongside Paraguay, Australia and the winner from a European playoff that includes Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo.
Odds for their teams’ success wasn’t necessarily on the mind of all fans in attendance.
When Mexican President Claudia Shinebaum drew the ball that placed Mexico in Group A, Atlanta resident Bino Rodriguez thought back to past successes of his favorite team. Admittedly, he doesn’t see El Tri making a deep run. He’s more tuned in to what this event means for his hometown and a chance to serve as a volunteer for FIFA.
Rodriguez’s family is from Mexico, but he grew up in Atlanta, and he said he loves its culture. He loves his Hawks and Falcons. He also loves that unlike other host cities, few, if any, can boast having both a rich hip-hop and reggaeton community, he said.
“When you combine both of those, you get a giant power city, a powerhouse with a good energy for dancing and really expressing themselves in how they want to,” he said.
As the groups continued to be filled, beer overflowed like the Chattahoochee River after a hard rain, big wafts of barbecue flooded noses and excitement for what’s coming stood paramount to anything else.
It was a scene that visually spoke to words former U.S. Men’s National Team and Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan said to the packed crowd and later to the media.
“We are excited, not only to be a part of this day with you guys, but for the city of Atlanta itself,” he said. “The city of Atlanta is truly the soccer capital of the United States.”
About the Author
Gavin Godfrey is an editor and Team Lead for UATL, the AJC's Black culture franchise. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta who's covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.
