Welcome to Atlanta: Where and How to enjoy the FIFA World Cup without a ticket

The month of June has begun, and with it begins a two-week countdown to the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Atlanta, specifically, the games will begin at noon on Monday, June 15, when the national teams of Spain and Cabo Verde will face off. Those clubs are not the only teams playing on the grass inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium this summer, as Czechia will face South Africa on June 18 (noon), and Spain returns to face Saudi Arabia on June 21 (noon).

Morocco and Haiti will play a night match on June 24 (6 p.m.), and Congo DR and Uzbekistan, who are using the Atlanta United Training Grounds as their base camp, will play on June 27 at 7:30 p.m. 

Asked what he believes the atmosphere will be like inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the opening match, United States National Team captain and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream, who has played inside The Benz when the building has had 50,000-plus fans inside for a match against Atlanta United, said, “It’s going to be crazy. That’s a great atmosphere.” 

For the thousands of people who will not have tickets to those matches or the round of 32 match on July 1, the round of 16 match on July 7, or the semifinal match on July 15, and won’t witness that, there are plenty of free ways to enjoy the World Cup from across metro Atlanta.

Start with a three-day celebration at Atlanta’s USA Kickoff Festival at Old Fourth Ward Park from June 11-13. The celebration includes a watch party for the United States National Team’s opening game against Paraguay from Los Angeles. 

The FIFA Fan Fest will take place at Centennial Olympic Park from June 12-15. Hosted by the City of Atlanta and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, the fest will be for 18 days. General admission tickets are free, but there are general entry tickets, which include access to a viewing area, bar, private access to restrooms, and guaranteed entry, and VIP ticket packages include air-conditioned areas, drinks, and food. 

Atlanta’s BeltLine will be home to another free World Cup event. The Atlanta BeltLine Fest will take place at Pittsburgh Yards on June 20 and 21. The fest will have live music, food trucks, and local vendors along the Southside Trail.  

In Decatur, there will also be soccer to watch. The Decatur Watch Fest, a month-long festival, will have live music and watch parties like the other festivals, but there will also be ticketed live performances from the likes of Big Boi on June 11 and The War and Treaty on June 25. 

The World Cup final will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. That match will allow a country to host the World Cup trophy, potentially for the first time. Many of the world’s soccer fans will not be in attendance, so television screens from around the world will be tuned in to Fox at 3:30 ET. For Atlantans, Buckhead can be where they watch the final. Yeppa & Co. will be the site of the Big Match Block Party from 2-6 p.m.  

Together for Downtown

On Monday, June 1, with under two weeks to go until the World Cup, more than 600 volunteers gathered outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium to get their assignments. The effort to clean up the area surrounding downtown, “Together for Downtown: Community Day”, is part of the revitalization efforts taking place around the city in preparation for the tournament. 

The question is whether these efforts and many other clean-up efforts would be taking place if not, for the World Cup. Some say yes, while others say no.

South Downtown, LLC CEO Jon Birdsong said, “It’s so much more than the World Cup. Atlanta has nearly everything, but we have been lacking a sense of place in South Downtown. This downtown is being built for locals. This is for generations.” 

Later that afternoon, Vine City Civic Association member Steven Muhammad, dressed in a brown suit, approached a microphone outside Atlanta City Hall and commenced to lay out his grievance. He was part of a group of community members holding a press conference. “We are tired of interlopers. We’re sick and tired of these bloodsuckers taking advantage of Atlanta,” Muhammad said. 

Muhammad was joined by Rodney Mullins, who represented West Atlanta Progress. Mullins, who led the press conference, said of the upcoming World Cup and the level of attention being paid to improve roadways and exteriors around the city, “Why can’t our children be just as important as the World Cup?”

Safety First

Seth Bader, the founder and CEO of Bader Law, a Georgia‑based personal injury and workers’ compensation law firm, spoke with The Atlanta Voice about safety measures during the World Cup.

On how Atlanta’s infrastructure plays into the risk of pedestrian safety during the World Cup, Bader said, “There have been a number of accidents, two not too long ago in 2026, and both of them involved pedestrians who were in the middle of crosswalks. I think that the city’s infrastructure plays a part. The city has a responsibility to ensure that the infrastructure is adequate to ensure the pedestrians can get from place to place safely, that there’s adequate visibility and lighting, that the crosswalks are designed properly, and that the traffic signals are working,” Bader said. 

On any other measures that he’s hoping the city implements before and during the World Cup for pedestrians, Bader said, “Given a moment to reflect, the three biggest recommendations I’d offer the City of Atlanta on pedestrian safety during the World Cup would be to create pedestrian-priority zones around the stadium and fan areas on match days, expand temporary street closures and protected walkways to better separate cars from large crowds, and improve crossings with longer walk signals, turn restrictions, and staffed intersections in the highest-traffic areas. Those steps would do the most to move people safely during the event.” 

USA Roster Representation:

The United States National Team final roster includes so many players of color. At training at the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center earlier this week, the red, white, and blue was draped across the shoulders of the American players and felt like an honest representation of this country. The USMNT, win or lose, will be a complete reflection of this country.

Born in Mexico, United States forward Alejandro Zendejas was raised in El Paso, Texas, and will represent the U.S. at the World Cup for the first time. The Liga MX winger spoke to the media before training on Saturday, May 30, and said he was excited to be playing in the world’s most important soccer tournament.

This year’s roster also includes more Black American-born players than any other before. The red, white, and blue draped over the backs of the American players is an honest representation of this country. The USMNT, win or lose, will be a complete reflection of this country.

Midfielders Tyler Adams (Upstate New York) and Weston McKennie (Texas), forwards Haji Wright (California), and Tim Weah (Upstate New York) join defenders Alex Freeman (Florida), Mark McKenzie (Delaware), Chris Richards (Alabama), and former Atlanta United star Miles Robinson (Massachusetts) on this year’s roster. 

The United States will open Group D play against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday, June 12 (9 p.m.). Then they will fly to Seattle to play Australia on Friday, June 19 (3 p.m.), before returning to Los Angeles to close group play with a match against Turkey on Saturday, June 25 (10 p.m.). 

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