The upcoming international game between Mexico and Nigeria at the Georgia Dome is trending to be one of highest-attended soccer games in Atlanta’s history.
Two weeks before the March 5 kickoff, more than 40,000 tickets have been sold. Soccer United Marketing, which is organizing the game, has sold tickets to consumers from 37 different states. More than 85 percent of the tickets for the Dome’s lower bowl have been sold.
Because games featuring Mexico typically have large walk-up sales, the upcoming match could surpass the previous record of 54,229 tickets sold for last year’s Gold Cup games, which also featured Mexico. Capacity for the game is 72,000.
Next month’s game features two teams that will in play in the World Cup in Brazil this summer, so the environment in the Dome could be raucous.
Mexico, No. 21 in FIFA’s world rankings, is in a World Cup group that includes Brazil, Croatia and Cameroon. Coach Miguel Herrera is expected to call in much of the team that will appear in the World Cup.
“Atlanta is a great city,” Herrera told Soccer United Marketing. “We’ve played there with some teams and the people have responded sensationally. The Georgia Dome is a good stadium with an important capacity. It has a rich history, with football and the Olympics. Nigeria is going to be an extraordinary opponent for us, very similar to what we are going to face against Cameroon in the opening match of the World Cup.”
Nigeria, No. 47 in FIFA’s rankings, is in a group that includes Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iran.
“The game will be very useful for us and I am sure that the people in Atlanta will respond well as they have done everywhere, always backing the team in a very positive way,” Herrera said. “It will be a very attractive game; obviously the only match in which we are going to see the Mexicans that are currently playing Europe.”
Following the U.S. women’s 8-0 defeat of Russia earlier this month, next month’s game will be the second international soccer match the Dome has hosted this year and another in a stretch of games going to back to 2009, when more than 51,000 tickets were sold for Mexico against Venezuela.
Atlanta is also one of several cities being considered as an expansion target for Major League Soccer. Falcons owner Arthur Blank and his representatives are deep in discussions with the league.
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