The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest edition of the world’s most popular sporting events yet, with 48 teams vying for soccer’s biggest prize in matches hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The three nations won the right to host in 2018 after a yearlong bidding process. This unprecedented scale brings more attention to the already immensely popular competition, which has traditionally been contested by 32 and hosted by a single nation.
Twenty-two cities across the three North American host countries competed for bids to host matches, with 16 receiving the nod. The Atlanta Sports Council (ASC) led the bid effort, collaborating with state and local governments, Arthur M. Blank Sports + Entertainment, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority to win the bid.
“Atlanta is a soccer town, and we’re excited to bring the game’s best athletes to the world’s best city,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “Atlanta has already been home to the Super Bowl and the Olympics, and through our strong collaboration with the State and our business community, we will welcome folks from all over the world to fill every seat in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2026.”
“We have the pleasure of celebrating Atlanta’s selection as a host city of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, because of our strong, bipartisan public-private partnership and many who have been working for years to put Georgia on the map since we hosted the 1996 Olympics,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “This premiere event will have a positive impact on so many hardworking Georgians. Hotels will fill with guests from around the world; restaurants will provide visitors a taste of the South they will not soon forget; attractions across Georgia will welcome those seeking to experience all the Peach State has to offer; and in each interaction, people will see Georgia’s Southern hospitality on full display. The world will be watching us as we meet this moment, and we’re proud of all the entities who worked so hard to get us to this point.”
Hosting World Cup matches will bring an economic boost to the city: an impact analysis by the Boston Consulting Group during the initial bud process in 2017-18 found that the 2026 World Cup is forecasted to contribute $5BN in new economic activity. Of that, $415 million alone is estimated in net economic benefit for Atlanta, which is becoming renowned for its support of soccer after the recent successes of Atlanta United in Major League Soccer.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the city of Atlanta to continue to show the world what we have to offer,” said Arthur M. Blank, Owner and Chairman of The Blank Family of Businesses, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “Our stadium was built to host world-class events, and we would be honored to continue that tradition in 2026 with the World Cup,” Blank continued. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Atlanta World Cup Bid Committee, especially the Atlanta Sports Council, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and our AMBSE leadership team, for their diligent work over the past few years that has led us to today’s announcement. There is still more work to be done, and I look forward to working with our public and private partners, FIFA and our local community to bring these spectacular global games to Atlanta.”
FIFA Facts, Figures, & Schedule
The most watched competition in the world, with a greater audience (19B cumulative) than the Summer Olympics, UEFA Champions League, Tour de France, F1, NFL, and Rugby World Cup combined. (Source: FIFA/Nielsen)
Approximately 50 percent of the world watches the FIFA World Cup. 5 billion people watched in ‘22 (Qatar) with 3.4million attending live. 94 million people posted on social media about the FIFA World Cup during the ‘22 tournament.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the biggest sporting event in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
+62.5%: more games vs. FWC 2022 (from 64 to 104)
First FWC to be hosted across three (3) countries and 16 Host Cities.
Atlanta is one of 16 cities that will host eight (8) matches including a semi-final of the 104 total matches during the summer of 2026
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin on Thursday, June 11, 2026, and the Final Match will be held Sunday, July 19, 2026
Atlanta, Georgia to host eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, including one Semi-final
All eight (8) matches will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium between June 15 and July 15, 2026
It is estimated that the FIFA World Cup will mean $415 million in net economic benefits for Georgia.
The tournament draw will take place in December 2025 and will be broadcast globally.
The broadcast of the draw alone will draw over a billion viewers.
We will not know any of the teams playing in Atlanta until this draw takes place.