2026 World Cup Guide: Atlanta

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Travel Guide

Atlanta is one of 16 North American cities selected to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and few venues match the scale of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The state-of-the-art arena will stage eight games, including a semi-final, bound to draw fans from across the globe to Georgia’s capital. The stadium’s location just west of downtown means visitors have direct access via MARTA (Atlanta’s rail and bus system), with three stations near the stadium. That means Atlanta will be one of the easiest cities to navigate for out-of-towners, as they can stay pretty much anywhere in the city and avoid the annoyance of having only one public transportation station to serve every person attending the games.

Here’s your guide to all things Atlanta World Cup.

• About Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Tickets and matches
• Getting to Atlanta
• Getting around while you’re there
• Details on the FIFA Fan Zone
• Hotels, soccer bars, and what else to do
• More about Atlanta

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in 2017 in downtown Atlanta and is home to both the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United. It’s new enough that it doesn’t have a historic nickname like many stadiums, though you’ll hear locals simply call it “The Benz.” It sits in the city’s sports and entertainment district near Centennial Olympic Park and is most known for its futuristic design, with a retractable roof and a massive 360-degree halo video board that wraps around the interior. Seating configurations vary by event, but it can accommodate more than 70,000 fans for major matches. Hungry fans are in luck, as it’s made headlines for its affordable food prices, like $3 hot dogs and $4 buckets of popcorn. It was built with traffic flow and the fan experience in mind, and you’ll find memorabilia and trophies from Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons around the stadium. It also has a great art collection, with civil rights–inspired public art and installations across the stadium’s massive footprint.

The Atlanta World Cup schedule

Atlanta will host eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches — a significant number, considering most cities are hosting six.

• June 15, 2026: Spain vs. Cabo Verde — Group H
• June 18, 2026: South Africa vs. UEFA Playoff D Winner — Group A
• June 21, 2026: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia — Group H
• June 24, 2026: Morocco vs. Haiti — Group C
• June 27, 2026: Uzbekistan vs. Intercontinental Playoff 1 Winner — Group K
• July 1, 2026: Round of 32 match — Group L Winner vs. a best third-place team
• July 7, 2026: Round of 16 match — specific teams TBD
• July 15, 2026: Semifinal match — specific teams TBD

Tickets are on sale for all World Cup matches, though they’re currently limited to fans who have won various ticket-buying lotteries. Open sales for the general public are expected to start in February or March 2026. FIFA uses dynamic pricing, meaning that prices for tickets change as demand ebbs and flows. As of late January 2026, Atlanta’s least-expensive tickets are expected to start around $405 per seat, with lower rates available for supporters’ club members.

How to get to Atlanta

Travelers coming from almost any city in the US should be able to find direct flights into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), as it’s usually rated as the busiest airport in the US (though it was temporarily unseated by Chicago-‘Hare in 2025). Downtown Atlanta is about 11 miles away and takes about 15 minutes to reach in light traffic. If you’re renting a car, the rental pick-up center is connected to the terminal by the automated ATL SkyTrain, which runs a loop from the domestic terminal area.

However, Atlanta is one of the easier World Cup cities to visit without a car. MARTA’s Airport Station is inside the Domestic Terminal between the North and South baggage claims, and trains run straight into the city.

How to get to Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Downtown Atlanta

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is on the western edge of downtown Atlanta. From most downtown hotels, walking to the stadium takes about 10 to 20 minutes, with well-marked pedestrian routes along Marietta Street or Andrew Young International Boulevard.

On public transportation, take the MARTA Red or Gold line to Five Points Station, then transfer to a westbound Blue or Green line train and exit at GWCC/CNN Center Station. Driving isn’t recommended unless you love traffic, but if you must take a car, there are multiple parking garages and surface lots surrounding the venue. Pre-booking through ParkMobile is strongly advised on event days. Rideshare drop-offs and pick-ups are designated along Northside Drive NW and are readily available on game and match days.

The official Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival

Atlanta’s 2026 FIFA Fan Festival will transform Centennial Olympic Park, a 22-acre public space in downtown Atlanta that served as home base for the 1996 Olympic Games, into a lively and free-to-enter celebration of the World Cup. The park is a very short walk from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, making it an excellent place to start the party early or hang out after the matches, even if you have tickets. Like most fan festivals, it’ll have huge screens to watch the matches, plus stages, live entertainment, food vendors, and more. Organizers plan to open the Fan Festival on match days, as well as the day before every match.

If you’re not in central Atlanta, the nearby suburb of Decatur will host WatchFest ’26, a month-long celebration of the World Cup with live music, games, and public screenings of all World Cup matches in the newly renovated Decatur Square.

Whether you’re coming to watch matches in 2025, 2026, or just want to soak in the lively city, here’s what you need to know to plan a World Cup trip to Atlanta.

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