A.M. ATL: So it begins

Morning, y’all! It’s World Cup in Atlanta Day! Let’s celebrate by not driving anywhere near downtown, if you have a choice.

Let’s get to it.

THE WORLD CUP COMES TO ATLANTA

We talked about it for so long, it seemed like it would never come. Now, here it is, ready to decimate your morning commute.

Today’s World Cup basics

• Atlanta hosts its first World Cup match today at 12 p.m. ET.
• Gates at Atlanta Stadium (the temporary name for Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the tournament) open three hours before match time. That’s 9 a.m. ET.
• No road closures are scheduled, but high traffic volume, motorcades, special vehicles and thousands of pedestrians milling about downtown will be just as prohibitive.
• Several MARTA stations have brand-new fare gates, just in time for the games. So far, it’s been rough going: The swinging glass on several fare gates shattered within days of going into service. There’s actually a valid explanation as to why. More here, plus a map of the new gates.

The matchup: Spain vs. Cape Verde

There are roughly a bajillion (72) group stage matches in the World Cup, and not all of them can be compelling. Luckily we don’t have that problem today.

• 2010 World Cup champion Spain is the tournament favorite. Cape Verde is playing in its very first World Cup game ever! I hope all the players have a good time and get along.
• Cape Verde hopes its World Cup debut will increase tourism for its tiny nation of 10 islands off the coast of West Africa.

Save these guides

• Here are the best Atlanta sports bars to watch the World Cup
• Where to eat in Atlanta: The guide of guides covering fine dining, international cuisine, airport options, the downtown area and more.

Sign up for Kick It, the AJC’s World Cup newsletter

I write it, and it’s a great time. We have game previews, updates from around the city, tips for getting around, must-know info and other fun stuff. Sign up here.

In the latest edition, we take a closer look at the Spain vs. Cape Verde match.

Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.

GA LEGISLATURE BEGINS SPECIAL SESSION WEDNESDAY

Georgia lawmakers will return to the Capitol Wednesday for a special legislative session steeped in tension and criticism.

The two priorities:

• Voting system overhaul: Georgia’s current system of counting votes via QR code becomes illegal July 1, thanks to legislation passed two years ago. Lawmakers need to decide on a new system, or it’s back to using pebbles like the ancient Greeks did.
• Redistricting: The SCOTUS decision rolling back protections in the Voting Rights Act ignited a scramble among GOP state legislatures to redraw congressional maps to their party’s benefit. Georgia’s no different.

We’ll talk more about this on Wednesday, since we already have a World Cup game today AND a consequential set of runoff elections tomorrow. One can only process so much.

🔎 READ MORE: The special session almost nobody wanted

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🐘 A June surprise? Gov. Brian Kemp has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, just days before the runoff election between Jones and Rick Jackson.

👍🏻 Meanwhile, President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia’s GOP U.S. Senate runoff, over Kemp-endorsed former football coach Derek Dooley.

👀 DOJ regulators signed off Friday on Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. They determined the controversial megamerger, which will affect the Atlanta media scene, won’t harm competition or consumers.

🚇 Nearly 300 people have applied for the position of next MARTA chief. Dream big!

LAKE SAFETY REMINDER

A 21-year-old man drowned while swimming in Lake Lanier this weekend, marking the seventh drowning on the lake in 2026.

• Lake Lanier had the most drownings, boating accidents and injuries of all major reservoirs in Georgia last year.
• If you head to the lakes this summer, heed all the safety wisdom you can. Wear life jackets on vessels, don’t swim unaccompanied, etc. Here’s a guide from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

NEWS BITES

Justin Trudeau skipped Canada World Cup opener because girlfriend Katy Perry performed at US game

Typical couple problems. Whomst among us, right?

The first Braves Country Fest was a huge success at Truist Park

With a name and venue like that, they couldn’t go wrong.

Lessons from the I-285 shutdowns: Follow detour signs, not GPS

Another good thing to remember during the World Cup.

Dairy industry isn’t producing enough whey for high-protein food demand

Surely there must be a … whey. (I’m so sorry.)

ON THIS DATE

June 15, 1998

Tuning in to the World Cup. English soccer fans cheer on their team at the Rose and Crown pub in Buckhead today as England took on Tunisia in the World Cup. The match ignited brawling between fans of the two countries in Marseille, France, site of the game. Fans fought in the streets, heaved bottles, smashed windows and shouted filthy insults in the melee, which left nearly 50 people injured.