World-Cup on WACN 21 News

Opinion: The World Cup showed MARTA what it can be — now keep it up

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Let me say something MARTA riders have been waiting a long time to hear: the system has been excellent during the World Cup.

Not adequate. Not “better than expected.” Excellent. Five-minute headways, every day. Transit Ambassadors on every platform, speaking multiple languages, actually helping people. A contactless fare system that works. Crime down. Trains running on time. Two hundred and twenty thousand rail riders in a single day — and the wheels didn’t come off.

MARTA shatters single-day ridership record as 220,000 rail riders flood system for World Cup

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

MARTA shattered its single-day rail ridership record Wednesday as fans streaming to the Morocco-Haiti World Cup match pushed the system to 220,000 rail customers — roughly 2.3 times the agency’s typical weekday volume.

It was the busiest day in the transit agency’s history, and officials said it validated months of planning that many riders and critics had questioned heading into the tournament.

By the numbers

Since the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Atlanta on June 11, MARTA has transported approximately 1.7 million passengers to matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park, and related events across the city.

Spain routs Saudi Arabia 4–0 in Atlanta as Yamal and Oyarzabal shine at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 22:30:00 -0400

Spain left no doubt in their second Group H match, dismantling Saudi Arabia 4–0 Sunday evening at a packed Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a performance that emphatically erased memories of their opening-match draw.

A crowd of more than 71,000 watched the reigning European champions seize control inside the first quarter-hour and never look back.

Yamal sets the tone

Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona winger who has become one of the tournament’s most electrifying talents, broke the deadlock in the 11th minute with a curling effort from the right side of the box that beat the Saudi goalkeeper at the near post.

Atlanta Crime Down 14% This Year, but Transit Violence Keeps Public on Edge

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

By the numbers, Atlanta is having one of its safest years in recent memory. The Atlanta Police Department reported a 14% year-to-date decrease in overall crime through mid-June, with steep declines across several categories that have long frustrated residents and business owners.

But statistics tell only part of the story. A series of high-profile random violent incidents on the city’s transit system has put public safety back at the top of the conversation — and tested whether data-driven progress can overcome the visceral fear that a single headline can produce.

Decatur WatchFest '26 turns downtown into an open-air World Cup party through July 19

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

If you can’t score a ticket to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Decatur has the next best thing.

The city’s downtown square has been transformed into an open-air World Cup viewing destination called WatchFest ‘26, featuring large-format screens broadcasting every televised match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup through July 19.

The event, organized by the Decatur Downtown Development Authority in partnership with local restaurants and sponsors, launched on June 11 and has quickly become one of the most popular community-level watch-party destinations in metro Atlanta.

MARTA postpones new CQ400 railcar debut, misses World Cup target

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 15:00:00 -0400

MARTA will not have its highly anticipated new railcars in passenger service in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the agency confirmed Friday, acknowledging that the debut of the CQ400 fleet has been delayed by unfinished safety testing and federal certification requirements.

The setback means the transit system will rely entirely on its existing fleet of refurbished heavy-rail cars — some of which are more than 40 years old — to handle what is expected to be the largest surge in ridership in the agency’s history.

Centennial Yards Lands The Busy Bee, Varuni Napoli and Chops Lobster Bar Ahead of World Cup

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 -0400

The dining options at Centennial Yards are about to get a serious upgrade.

Developers behind the massive downtown Atlanta project announced Friday that three acclaimed restaurant brands — The Busy Bee Café, Varuni Napoli and Chops Lobster Bar — will open locations within the development, joining Wild Leap Brewery in what is quickly becoming one of the city’s most ambitious culinary corridors.

The additions come at a critical moment: with the 2026 FIFA World Cup bringing hundreds of thousands of international visitors to Atlanta this summer, Centennial Yards is racing to ensure its dining scene matches the scale of the event happening next door at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Georgia Aquarium triples the size of its otter exhibit ahead of the World Cup, betting big on a tourism summer

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0400

The Georgia Aquarium will open a three-times-larger expansion of its otter exhibit to the public Saturday, the aquarium announced Wednesday — the first major renovation of an animal habitat since the Sea Lion Reef opened in 2020.

The expansion is timed for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins in Atlanta on June 15 and is expected to draw more than 700,000 visitors to the city’s downtown attractions over four weeks.