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- City leaders including Mayor Andre Dickens, Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, and Dan Corso welcomed visitors.
- Atlanta will host FIFA gatherings and nearby matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, temporarily called Atlanta Stadium.
- Officials said the city prepared for the World Cup for 1,400 days, marking a long journey to hosting matches and celebrations.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has begun, and thousands of fans in Atlanta will get to be a part of the action from the comfort of Centennial Olympic Park. The first day of the FIFA Fan Fest took place on Thursday, June 11, and thousands of soccer fans flocked to the park to lay down blankets and seek shade under large umbrellas in the afternoon sun, in preparation for the tournament’s opening match: Mexico vs. South Africa from Mexico City. The amount of Mexico jerseys, flags, head scarves, hats, and t-shirts in the crowd gave the watch party -the match was broadcast on a huge television screen inside the park- a pro-Mexico feel.
Not to be outdone, there were fans wearing jerseys from the United States, England, Haiti, Germany, Colombia, Jamaica, Argentina, Ivory Coast, Brazil, France, and South Africa, too.
“I can imagine what previous city leaders must have felt like 30 years ago,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens from the stage an hour before the match. Dickens, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, and Atlanta Sports Council President Dan Corso shared the stage during an introduction. The FIFA Fan Fest will offer thousands of fans a chance to gather for soccer matches played across North America, including at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium (temporarily named Atlanta Stadium during the tournament).
“We are thrilled to welcome all of our visitors to this great city,” Dickens said.
Corso said of the road to being one of the cities to host FIFA World Cup matches, “We’ve been preparing and counting down for World Cup for 1,400 days. It’s been a long journey to this point.”
Moments before the national anthems for South Africa and Mexico were played, there was a quiet that came over the crowd inside the fan fest. After proper respect for the South African National Anthem, the Mexican National Anthem, “Himno Nacional Mexicano,” began. The largely Mexican crowd was loud enough to be heard in Suwanee.
A line in the song goes as follows: “Mexicanos, Al grito de guerra.” That translates to mean, “Mexican, at the cry of war.” Day one of the FIFA World Cup saw Mexico go ahead 1-0 at halftime and up 2-0 after 90 minutes. At the cry of war, Mexico landed the first blow of the World Cup.
Viva Atlanta. Via the FIFA World Cup.
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