When Atlanta hosts its first FIFA World Cup 2026 match on Monday — at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — the city will be running the largest international sporting event it has ever hosted, bigger than the 1996 Olympics in pure crowd-management terms.
Eight matches over four weeks, including a semifinal, with cumulative attendance expected to exceed 700,000. Add in the FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park and the international broadcast operations that will stage out of CNN Center, and the operational footprint is, by every measure, unprecedented for the city.
Here is what you need to know before Monday’s opening match.
The match schedule
Atlanta hosts five group-stage matches, one Round of 32 match, one Round of 16 match, and the second semifinal, all at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- Monday, June 15 — Group stage (Match 14): Spain vs. Cabo Verde, kickoff 6 p.m. ET
- Saturday, June 20 — Group stage (Match 32)
- Thursday, June 25 — Group stage (Match 54)
- Tuesday, June 30 — Group stage (Match 67)
- Friday, July 3 — Group stage (Match 72, the final group match of the tournament)
- Wednesday, July 8 — Round of 32
- Sunday, July 12 — Round of 16
- Wednesday, July 15 — Semifinal
What’s closed
The secure perimeter around Mercedes-Benz Stadium goes into effect at 6 a.m. Saturday. Within the perimeter:
- The sidewalk along the east side of Northside Drive NW between M.L.K. Jr. Drive SW and Carter Street NW is closed.
- The sidewalk along the north side of M.L.K. Jr. Drive SW between Northside Drive NW and Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW is closed.
- M.L.K. Jr. Drive SW is closed to through traffic between Mitchell Street NW and Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW during match windows.
- Marietta Street NW between Park Avenue NW and Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW will have two southbound travel lanes; northbound travel will be detoured around the Fan Festival.
The pedestrian-protection barrier is up around the perimeter of Centennial Olympic Park, the home of the FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta.
How to get there
The clear guidance from every agency involved: take MARTA.
MARTA is running enhanced service during the tournament, with extra trains before and after each match and additional rail staff deployed to manage crowds. The closest stations to Mercedes-Benz Stadium are Vine City (on the Green and Blue lines) and GWCC/CNN Center (on the Blue and Green lines).
“If you are going to a match, do not drive. There is no parking available within a mile of the stadium that you actually want to use. Take MARTA, walk, or bike.”
— MARTA, in a Friday statement
Ride-share drop-off and pickup zones are located south of the stadium on Northside Drive, outside the secure perimeter. Taxis are staged at the same location.
The Fan Festival
The FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta runs at Centennial Olympic Park for 18 days of the tournament, opening at 2 p.m. Monday. The festival is free and features:
- A 40-foot screen showing every match live
- Live concerts from Atlanta-based and international artists
- Atlanta food vendors curated by the Atlanta Food & Beverage Network
- Cultural programming from the city’s international consulates
The festival opens at 2 p.m. on non-match days and at noon on match days. It closes at midnight weeknights and at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
What you cannot bring
The FIFA Clean Zone rules apply in a defined radius around Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Fan Festival. Within the Clean Zone:
- No outdoor advertising — including branded clothing — for any brand that is not an official FIFA sponsor
- No drones without a permit
- No bottles, cans, or coolers
- No large bags — bags must be smaller than 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches
- No weapons, of course
What the city has spent
Atlanta has spent roughly $300 million on World Cup preparations, including:
- $120 million on stadium improvements and security infrastructure at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- $85 million on transit upgrades, including the MARTA Five Points transformation and new rail cars
- $50 million on streetscape improvements and pedestrian safety
- $45 million on public safety staffing and training
The investment is the largest the city has made in public-infrastructure readiness for any single event.
“We have been preparing for this for two years. When the world lands in Atlanta on Monday, we will be ready.”
— Mayor Andre Dickens, in a Friday afternoon news conference
Elena Vásquez covers city hall, transportation, and downtown development for WACN 21. Reach her at evasquez@wacn21.com.
