The way the FIFA World Cup 2026 games in Atlanta will break down over the course of the tournament is as follows:
Group Stages:
Monday, June 15: Spain vs Cabo Verde (noon)
Thursday, June 18: South Africa vs playoff winner between DEN/MKD/CZE/Ireland (noon)
Sunday, June 21: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (noon)
Wednesday, June 24: Morocco vs Haiti (6 pm)
Saturday, June 27: Uzbekistan vs playoff winner between COD/Jamaica/NCL (7:30 pm)
Round of 32:
Wednesday, July 1: Match 80 (noon)
Round of 16:
Tuesday, July 7: Match 95 (noon)
Semi-Finals:
Wednesday, July 15: Match 102 (3 pm)
The next FIFA World Cup doesn’t commence until June 11, 2026. Still, the final draw for where the participating countries and their national teams will play took place on Friday, Dec. 5. The Final Draw for the World Cup took place in Washington, D.C., at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Still, a watch party was held in Buckhead Village.
People wore jerseys from their favorite national teams, while others wore Atlanta United gear and brought flags to wave. A pair of smiling women showed everyone their French soccer flag. It was a party in Atlanta, and everyone was invited.
“My Life couldn’t get any better than I have been able to see the first Olympic Games here in Atlanta and the World Cup here in Atlanta,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “It doesn’t get much better than that as a native.”
Dickens and former Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who was also one of the event hosts alongside radio personality and Atlanta United play-by-play announcer Mike Cinti, spoke to the media before the draw began.
As for the group stages taking place in Atlanta, groups A, C, H, and K all include nationalities that are present in large factions in the city.
Group A will include Mexico, Korea, South Africa, and a playoff winner. Group C will include Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. Group is made up of Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and Cabo Verde. Group has Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and a playoff winner in it.
Atlanta will be one of the 16 North American host cities, and on the 30th anniversary of hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, will be one of the host cities for the tournament’s semifinals. The city has quickly become one of the country’s soccer hubs. A NWSL franchise was recently announced for Atlanta and will be owned by Arthur M. Blank, who also owns Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons.
With everything going on around him, Guzan was all smiles as he answered questions about the impact of global soccer on Atlanta’s already strong reputation as an American soccer stronghold. Asked if Atlanta is the best soccer city in America, the Illinois native and former United States men’s National Team goalkeeper said, “Absolutely.”
“The city of Atlanta is now the soccer capital of the United States,” Guzan said. “We’ve got everything going. The fact that we’re hosting eight games during the World Cup next summer is going to be amazing.”
Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a busy couple of weekends on tap. The Southeastern Conference football championship game, featuring the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the rival University of Alabama Crimson Tide, is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The Atlanta Falcons will be hosting the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. The following weekend, the annual Cricket Celebration Bowl, the HBCU college football championship, will take place on Saturday, December 13, for all intents and purposes.
According to data from Airbnb, Atlanta is expected to experience an economic impact of $70 million during the summer of 2026. Across the 16 host cities, Airbnb stays are expected to contribute nearly $4 billion to the economies of those cities, which, along with Atlanta, include Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
Dickens spoke to the economic impact the World Cup is going to have on the small businesses in Atlanta as well.
“The economic impact is going to be huge,” he said. “We are ready to welcome the world to Atlanta.”