Atlanta is the surprise package of the 2026 World Cup. Eight matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including a semi-final. A city with the best stadium food in America, a Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park, and a southern welcome that has made Atlanta United the best-supported team in MLS. Here is why fans will love it.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium: a spaceship in downtown Atlanta

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is one of the most spectacular stadiums in world football: a retractable roof that opens like a camera aperture, a 360-degree halo video board, and a design that has won awards around the world. It holds around 71,000 fans and hosts eight World Cup matches, including a semi-final — the second-biggest game of the tournament. It sits in downtown Atlanta, a short walk from the Vine City and Dome MARTA stations, and the surrounding area has been transformed with fan zones, restaurants and public space.

The Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park

Atlanta's official FIFA Fan Festival is at Centennial Olympic Park, the legacy of the 1996 Olympics and one of the great public spaces in America. Entry is free with a digital pass, and the park will show matches on giant screens, with live music, food vendors and family activities on select match days. The park is a ten-minute walk from the stadium, which makes it the perfect pre-match meeting point — and the perfect place to watch if you do not have a ticket.

The food: the best stadium food in America

Atlanta's stadium food is famous: Mercedes-Benz Stadium has some of the cheapest concession prices in American sports, with hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks at prices that would shock fans in other cities. Outside the stadium, Atlanta's food scene is one of the best in the south: soul food on Auburn Avenue, barbecue in the suburbs, and the Ponce City Market food hall for everything in between. The Varsity, the world's largest drive-in, is a pre-match institution — order the chili dog and the Frosted Orange.

The Atlanta United effect: a football city

Atlanta United have the highest average attendances in MLS, regularly drawing more than 40,000 fans, and the city has embraced football with a passion that surprised everyone. The supporters' groups — the Terminus Legion, the Resurgence, and others — will be at the heart of the World Cup atmosphere in the city, organising watch parties, marches to the stadium and tifo displays. Travelling fans will find a city that already knows how to do football properly.

Where to stay and how to get around

Downtown Atlanta, around Centennial Olympic Park and the stadium, is the best base: hotels at every price, walkable to the stadium, and served by MARTA, the city's metro. Midtown is better for nightlife and restaurants, a short train ride away. Atlanta's MARTA system is the key to the trip: it connects the airport, downtown and the stadium, and on match days it runs extra services. Avoid driving if you can — downtown traffic on match days is slow, and parking is expensive.

Frequently asked questions

Atlanta's music and civil rights history

Atlanta is more than a football city: it is the birthplace of the civil rights movement and a capital of American music. Between matches, visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the neighbourhoods that produced Outkast and the modern hip-hop sound. The city's history gives the World Cup here a depth that few other host cities can match — and the locals are proud to show it off.

How many matches does Atlanta host? Eight, including a semi-final. How do I get to the stadium? MARTA to Vine City or Dome stations. Where is the Fan Festival? Centennial Olympic Park, free with a digital pass. Where should I stay? Downtown, near the stadium and the park. What should I eat? Stadium food is famously cheap, and the city is great for soul food and barbecue.