Over the last several decades, Atlanta has built its reputation as the epicenter of soccer, hosting international matches and investing millions into the game’s growth. With FIFA World Cup 2026™ coming to town, Atlanta’s status as a soccer city is firmly solidified. Here, we break down the critical developments that fueled its rise.
Photograph by University of Georgia Archives
Let the Games Begin
The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta were historic, as they marked the debut of women’s soccer in the Games. On August 1, 1996, the U.S. women’s team won the inaugural gold medal, defeating China in the final match played at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. United States Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone was the youngest player on that U.S. team, and she went on to play for Atlanta’s professional women’s soccer team, the Atlanta Beat. Now working out of her organization’s brand-new headquarters in metro Atlanta, she says she has seen firsthand how the Games “planted the seeds for Atlanta’s interest in soccer.”
“Playing alongside legends like Mia Hamm, Carla Overbeck, and Julie Foudy, and winning gold in front of a home crowd, it gave me a front-row seat to see what was possible for women’s soccer. It made me realize that this sport could change lives, including mine,” Parlow Cone says. “That energy carried through to everything the city has done to truly become one of the best soccer cities in the country.”
Courtesy of Atlanta United
Atlanta Unites
When the MLS expansion team, now known as Atlanta United, was awarded to Atlanta on April 16, 2014, there was some skepticism. “No one thought it was real. No one thought it was going to make it,” says Sarah Kate “Skate” Noftsinger, Atlanta United’s senior vice president and chief business officer, who grew up in Richmond, Virginia. “I knew nothing about Atlanta, but I remember driving around during my interview [in 2015] and I saw the diversity, I saw all these neighborhoods, and I remember thinking, ‘Holy smokes. Soccer could work here.’”
And work it did. Atlanta United played its first game on March 5, 2017, going on to win the MLS Cup in 2018 and the U.S. Open Cup in 2019. The team has led MLS in average attendance every season since joining the league, averaging nearly 44,000 fans in the 2025 season. It has also recorded 18 of the top-25 most-attended matches in MLS history.
“I’ve been lucky enough to live in Atlanta and play professionally here, so I know that it has this incredible spirit and cares about soccer,” Parlow Cone says. “The city is so diverse and has this global identity that is perfect for soccer. You could feel that interest and excitement with the Atlanta Beat, but you really saw it take off with the success of Atlanta United. The city embraced the team instantly, and that energy and excitement for the sport is seen across the city at all levels, from youth to adults.”
Courtesy of Atlanta United
Courtesy of Atlanta United
International Fervor
Since the Olympics, metro Atlanta’s population has grown substantially. According to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s analysis of U.S. Census data, which is collected every 10 years, the population of metro Atlanta grew from 3.1 million in 1990 to 6.1 million in 2020. ARC also estimates that nearly 1 million of these residents are foreign-born. This international culture, bolstered by the global connectivity of Atlanta’s airport (the world’s busiest), has built a strong international fan base for Atlanta United and fed the growth of youth soccer in the city and state.
“I was born and raised on the south side of town, and I’ve lived inside the city since 2004. In that time span, it’s become so much more of an international city,” says Jason Longshore, commentator for Atlanta United and host of the radio show Atlanta Soccer Tonight on 92.9 The Game. “You have people from around the world who live here and bring that fandom with them. You have their kids participating in youth leagues, and it’s just become so much more of a melting pot.”
Georgia Soccer estimates statewide youth and adult participation at about 100,000, and those numbers keep growing. Georgia is already known as one of the top states for producing professional athletes in football, baseball, and basketball; soccer may soon be added to that list.
“What has kicked it to a whole other level has been Atlanta United and having that top-level professional team that kids get to emulate,” Longshore says. “When you get to go to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and see international superstars and dream to play there and be part of that, it just changes everything.”
The leadup to FIFA World Cup 2026™ has created even more fervor, but Longshore says he’s especially looking forward to what happens after the tournament ends. “What excites me the most is what the legacy of all this is going to be,” he says. “All those participation numbers for kids are going to grow, and all the opportunities for kids to access the game are going to grow. More kids who are good players will get access to play professionally. Atlanta is going to be such an essential part of that. Atlanta is the epicenter for soccer in the United States, no question.”
Courtesy of Gensler
Big Moves
In the years following Atlanta United’s inception, several major tournaments have come to town, boosting the city’s reputation in the soccer sphere. From the 2024 Copa America and FIFA Club World Cup 2025 to the Premier League Summer Series in 2023 and 2025, hometown fans and those from across the globe have flocked to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to cheer on their favorite teams and superstars. More will come in the summer of 2026 when Atlanta hosts eight matches of FIFA World Cup 2026™, 30 years after hosting the Olympics.
Another big arrival to Atlanta? The United States Soccer Federation, which relocated from Chicago to Fayetteville in metro Atlanta this year. The facility is named for the Blank Family of Businesses Owner and Chairman Arthur Blank, who contributed $50 million to the project. It houses all 27 U.S. national teams, including men’s, women’s, and youth, as well as coaching and referee training.
“You’re not the epicenter of soccer in North America if you don’t have your country’s federation,” Noftsinger says. “This is the first time the Federation has ever had its business operations and soccer operations under the same roof in the same city. There’ll be several things over the next 12 months that will be scratching the surface of how Atlanta United and U.S. Soccer are going to be able to partner. We’re in the same city and we’re equally committed to changing people’s lives through the game.”
In November 2025, Atlanta and AMB Sports and Entertainment were awarded a National Women’s Soccer League franchise, set to kick off in 2028, marking yet another major milestone in the city’s continued rise as a national leader in soccer.
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Joe Reisigl
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