FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities to be announced Thursday June 16th (Atlanta: to rent, hotels)

[First24]

Atlanta has very good odds to be selected to host games. The big question is will Atlanta be chosen as a semi-final match site and as base city for the International Broadcast Center.

Stay tuned..

After confirming when the 16 host venues will be announced, FIFA also said the following in their statement:

- While stadiums represent an essential element of the selection process, FIFA is considering the overarching proposals presented by each candidate host city, which are broader in nature and also include ancillary events and venues, and key aspects such as sustainability, human rights, legacy, general infrastructure and financial impact.

- “During the past months we have had open exchanges with the candidate host cities on a number of different topics. We are very thankful and impressed by how dedicated and innovative they all are,” said FIFA’s Chief Tournaments & Events Officer, Colin Smith. “The host cities will be absolutely key to ensuring the successful delivery of the competition. We look forward to working with them to deliver what will undoubtably be the largest FIFA World Cup in history.”

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history with 80 games played overall, 60 of which will be in the USA and the entire tournament from the quarterfinal stage onwards will be in the U.S.

https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2022/06...ties-stadiums/

[Atlanta-Native]

Will be interesting to see if the politicians, who pushed for Georgia boycotts prior to the MLB All-Star game, will raise their voices again ahead of this decision.

[ShenardL]

Atlanta is guaranteed, they already have a press conference and invited journalists to the Benz stadium on Thursday. Atlanta high probability of getting a semi-final and also being the media center hub.

[Atlanta-Native]

Originally Posted by ShenardL

Atlanta is guaranteed, they already have a press conference and invited journalists to the Benz stadium on Thursday. Atlanta high probability of getting a semi-final and also being the media center hub.

Hopefully FIFA has the stones to keep here, after awarding it, and not listen to the outside noise.

[Datdudebrah]

I'm looking forward to the announcement, this will be a really cool event for ATL.

[cparker73]

Originally Posted by Atlanta-Native

Will be interesting to see if the politicians, who pushed for Georgia boycotts prior to the MLB All-Star game, will raise their voices again ahead of this decision.

Was losing the MLB All-Star game really that big a deal compared to all the other huge sporting events the city hosts every season like the SEC Championship and bowl games for it to still be a right-wing talking point? The World Series probably quadrupled the amount of money and commanded more attention than the All-Star game, which is just a blip in the big scheme of things on Atlanta's events and convention calendar.

I'm hopeful for The World Cup to be hosted here along with the broadcast center. You'd think that whatever made Atlanta a great host city for the Olympics in 1996, from corporate sponsors, the airport, hotels, stadiums and event space to communications infrastructure, local history, transportation, sports culture, international profile (thanks, CNN) and diverse demographics is even more of a reason for it to win the bid now.

This has the potential to be a great unifier for a metro that has seen massive change and balkanization. Maybe The Gulch will be well on its way to being filled in by 2026 along with a redeveloped Underground, and this will help Downtown become the prime centerpiece of the metro again in a way it hasn't been in a while.

[Atlanta-Native]

Originally Posted by cparker73

Was losing the MLB All-Star game really that big a deal compared to all the other huge sporting events the city hosts every season like the SEC Championship and bowl games for it to still be a right-wing talking point? The World Series probably quadrupled the amount of money and commanded more attention than the All-Star game, which is just a blip in the big scheme of things on Atlanta's events and convention calendar.

I'm hopeful for The World Cup to be hosted here along with the broadcast center. You'd think that whatever made Atlanta a great host city for the Olympics in 1996, from corporate sponsors, the airport, hotels, stadiums and event space to communications infrastructure, local history, transportation, sports culture, international profile (thanks, CNN) and diverse demographics is even more of a reason for it to win the bid now.

This has the potential to be a great unifier for a metro that has seen massive change and balkanization. Maybe The Gulch will be well on its way to being filled in by 2026 along with a redeveloped Underground, and this will help Downtown become the prime centerpiece of the metro again in a way it hasn't been in a while.

$50+ million isn't a blip on the radar. I also can't imagine the World Series even doubling the All-Star game. Too many people are local when talking about the WS. Because of that, less folks need to rent hotels and the locals are less likely to go to restaurants, or bars, since they could go to them on any given night.

Purely from a business perspective, if Atlanta was hosting the Super Bowl, who would they rather see representing the NFC - the Falcons, or the Cowboys?

[atler8]

It's unfortunate to see how quickly the FIFA aspect of the op's thread has been diverted away from and lost.

[Atlanta-Native]

Originally Posted by atler8

It's unfortunate to see how quickly the FIFA aspect of the op's thread has been diverted away from and lost.

Looks like we can celebrate it in 2 days when the announcement is made. Based on the article ranking each city, it looks like it's a no brainer.

I'm not a soccer person, so if Atlanta is a host city, how many games will be played during the tournament?

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Atlanta-Native

Looks like we can celebrate it in 2 days when the announcement is made. Based on the article ranking each city, it looks like it's a no brainer.

I'm not a soccer person, so if Atlanta is a host city, how many games will be played during the tournament?

I've read it will be between 6 and 10 at each host city. Atlanta, Dallas and New York are almost universally viewed as locks.