The music was loud as hundreds of soccer fans, general sports fans, and the curious crowded around a stage a few feet away from the Buckhead Library branch and Fado’s Irish Pub. If you are familiar with the setting, a Saturday afternoon, for example, can bring dozens of shoppers and diners into the area. On Friday afternoon, the FIFA World Cup Final Draw was scheduled to take place, and the energy on that street felt like Buckhead of old.
The next FIFA World Cup doesn’t commence until June 11, 2026, but the final draw for where the participating countries and their national teams will play and which groups they will be in took place on Friday. The Final Draw for the World Cup took place in Washington, D.C., at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but a watch party was held in Buckhead Village.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The United States will be in Group D, while Mexico is in Group A and Canada is in Group E. The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be Mexico against South Africa.
The groups that will be playing in Atlanta are A, C, H, and K.
Group A will include Mexico, Korea, South Africa, and a playoff winner. Group C will include Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. Group H is made up of Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and Cabo Verde. Group K has Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and a playoff winner in it.
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.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
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 local economies, 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.”