In eight months, North America will become the epicenter of the football world by hosting world Cup. The majority of matches will take place in the United States. Among the host cities, Atlanta will host eight matches, including a semifinal on July 15. The capital of the state of Georgia has already been able to test itself with the Club World Cup last summer and Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and the Atlanta World Cup Organizing Committee, is particularly optimistic.
« The Club World Cup provided real-time experience in managing the coordination required for a FIFA tournament, from security protocols and transport logistics to broadcast operations and fan engagement, he explains to Insider Sports. Atlanta's proven track record of hosting the Super Bowl, international games, college football championships, Olympics 1996 and now the Club World Cup, demonstrates our city's expertise in world-class sporting events. »
The Club World Cup provided us with a roadmap for even greater success in 2026 ", says Dan Corso. " The organization of the FIFA World Cup in 2026 is expected to generate an economic impact estimated at more than $503 million for Atlanta and the entire state of Georgia ", with " an unprecedented influx of international visitors (...) a significant increase in the occupancy rate of the more than 13.000 hotel rooms in the city center, a substantial growth in restaurant activity (…) and an exponential increase in local spending. »
A non-profit organization, Showcase Atlanta, was created tohelp small businesses to prepare for the event. This allows to ensure that the World Cup does not only benefit the major sponsors, but also offers local entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to participate in and benefit from this global event ", Corso emphasizes.
