In less than 100 days, as many as 500,000 soccer fans will descend on Atlanta for a month of matches, events and community.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will host its first match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 15, and the final match hosted in Atlanta will come one month later, on July 15. There will be six matches in between, the second most for any host city.
Preparations for the matches have taken Atlanta officials from the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell back to their own streets, where a 90-day task force worked to remove a significant homeless encampment near Grady Hospital.
In an update from the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee, city officials said they would be ready.
Of the eight matches hosted in Atlanta, at least two will include the Spanish national team.
Spain is the reigning European champion and a favorite to win the World Cup this summer. They are led by Lamine Yamal at just 18 years old. Yamal plays for FC Barcelona as a right midfielder.
He is considered one of the best players in the world, and he will be hitting the pitch with his teammates on June 15 and June 21 in the group stage. There is also a chance they will play in Atlanta in the tournament semifinal on July 15. The eyes of the world will be on those matches.
Morocco is also playing Haiti in Atlanta. Morocco was the first African nation to reach a semifinal game in the 2022 World Cup, and they are back to try again. There is also a large Haitian community in Atlanta, so officials are expecting a lot of local support for the team. The players haven’t been able to play in their own country amid political turmoil.
Cabo Verde will likely be knocked out of the tournament by Spain in the first match, but their World Cup experience will be notable either way. This is the first time the small island nation has qualified for the tournament. It’s also the first World Cup for the nation of Uzbekistan, who will be playing at Mercedes-Benz on June 27.
World Cup officials said there could be as many as 1 billion people watching the semifinal game in Atlanta, tuning in not only to the match but also the FanFest, stadium and overall experience in the Peach State. Atlanta previously hosted the Super Bowl, but World Cup officials said they expect that match to be four times bigger.
While some matchgoers will be native Atlantans, many will be coming from outside the city, state and country.
MARTA, the city’s public transportation, is preparing for many people to be riding the train for the first time, which means updated routes and additional signage. There will also be Transit Ambassadors to help direct traffic who will be wearing white MARTA-branded soccer jerseys in stations close to Mercedes-Benz.
MARTA officials said there will be more frequent service and extended hours on match days, as well as public restrooms available at 14 stations. Fans can buy a Breeze Card in advance, or buy a multi-day pass if you’re planning to come down to multiple matches or the various fan activities.
There is also a MARTA connection at Hartsfield-Jackson, meaning some fans could fly into Atlanta and then use MARTA for the entirety of their stay from the airport to their hotel to the match.
In a recent media call, officials with both the airport and MARTA said they were working together to fix a longstanding bottleneck at the airport’s station, and that additional signage and staff would be used to help non-Atlantans navigate the transition and access the city.
“We are built to host the world, and we are built to be on the world stage,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council, during a press conference Thursday.
Atlanta has hosted the Olympics, Super Bowls, college championship games and more, and the World Cup is just another test that officials say they are prepared to pass.
“Ever day is going to be something different,” Joe Bocherer, from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, said during the panel. “You’re not going to want to come to this just once.”
Officials are confident that all aspects of Atlanta’s industries will be prepared to take on the event from transportation to hospitality to entertainment. Time will tell if all the plans come to fruition.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.