There are now just 100 days remaining till the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, when Mexico plays South Africa. The United States will take part in the tournament for the first time two days later in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, FIFA set up shop at the Westin Peachtree Plaza to host a massive team workshop. Local and international media were treated to sessions on technology, logistics, fan experiences, and what to expect during the matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
FIFA26 Chief Operations Officer and Chief Event Operations Officer of FIFA Heimo Schirgi addressed the media, which was in a large group, considering the World Cup matches were still over three months away.
“Today we are celebrating 100 days to go, so this is part of our final preparations,” Schirgi said.
With 40 of the qualifying teams sending representatives and/or media to Atlanta to take part in the workshop, stadium tour, and interviews, the World Cup feels closer than ever. Among the logistical questions Schrigi was asked was about the Iranian National Team, which has qualified for the tournament. With a war with the United States of America taking place, getting an entire football club and staff to North America for the World Cup will be interesting.
“ We are taking it seriously, with 100 days to go, we are going to let it take its course,” Schirgi said of the ongoing war. “There are all sorts of things to consider.”
The amount of media credentials and tickets has been “overwhelming,” according to Schirgi. “This is obviously a great situation to be in,” he said.
A World Cup video montage played on a large screen inside Chastain G. Images of Pelé, Maradona, Ronaldo, both the Brazilian and Portuguese soccer stars, Zidane, and Messi flashed across the screen. So did images of the last time the United States hosted the world’s largest and most important soccer tournament.
Sebastian Runge, FIFA’s head of football technology, gave a presentation on new technological tools and features that will be in place during the FIFA World Cup 2026. His 15-minute presentation included videos of the auto-offside technology that will be used during the matches, 3-D player scans of each player on all 48 teams, referee bodycams, and Football AI Pro. The latter was explained as a tool that will bring data and in-game video evidence together for more accuracy.
About the offside technology, Runge said, “We want to increase the accuracy of the offside system.”
A pre-recorded welcome video featuring FIFA President Gianni Infantino was played for the media and team representatives. The room was packed with people from across the globe. Some of whom were downtown Atlanta for the first time, but not the last.
Atlanta will be one of the 16 North American host cities and, on the 30th anniversary of hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, will host 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.
Schirigi told The Atlanta Voice that the city has been a great partner to FIFA.
“Atlanta is an exciting market. Atlanta shows up as not many cities do,” Schirgi said.