CoStar News examined each FIFA World Cup host city and what the tournament June 11-July 19 could mean for local infrastructure, real estate, tourism and economic development long before the first soccer match is played. Find links to all the markets here.
Soccer fans in Atlanta are some of the most rabid in the country, with Atlanta United leading Major League Soccer in attendance for nine consecutive seasons.
Now, Atlanta United’s home pitch, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is set to host eight matches in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Starting June 11, the World Cup will be staged in 16 North American cities, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. Atlanta will have the fourth-largest venue among the 16 cities hosting World Cup matches, with Mercedes-Benz Stadium seating expanded to a capacity of 75,000.
The World Cup is estimated to have an economic impact of about $500 million on Georgia’s capital city, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber. The downtown area, where the stadium is located, has about 11,800 hotel rooms, according to the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. That’s an enormous amount that will nevertheless be needed for the estimated 520,000 visitors to the city during the World Cup.
Here is CoStar News’ scouting report on Atlanta:
The city
Metropolitan Atlanta is the sixth-largest market in the U.S., with about 6.5 million people, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The Atlanta region has seen rapid population growth over the past 30 years, and it continues to grow. The region’s population has increased an estimated 6.2% since 2020. It’s expected to add another 1.8 million people by 2050, according to Colliers.
The city of Atlanta itself is somewhat small, with a population of only 540,000. But the addition of Atlanta’s many surrounding municipalities boosts the total population. Alpharetta, Decatur, Fayetteville, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Norcross, Sandy Springs and Smyrna are some of the most significant cities in the Atlanta region.
How the skyline was shaped
The tallest building in Atlanta is the 1,023-foot Bank of America Plaza in Midtown. It opened in 1992, though the city has had few skyscrapers built since then. However, Rockefeller Group is close to finishing construction on one of the city’s tallest buildings in years, the 749-foot Alina at 1072 W. Peachtree St.
Other major buildings on the skyline include the 60-story Truist Plaza office tower and the 1,663-room Marriott Marquis hotel. The 51-story Georgia-Pacific building, which opened in 1982 as the company’s headquarters, is undergoing a partial conversion to residences.
The Georgia State Capitol is located in downtown Atlanta, but the building’s gold-plated dome is dwarfed by many nearby structures. The best way to see the Gold Dome, as the Capitol building is nicknamed, is by approaching the city from the south on the Interstate 75/85 connector, or from the west on I-20.
Fortune 500 companies
Metropolitan Atlanta has 18 companies on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations. The roster includes Coca-Cola and utility Southern Co., both headquartered downtown; Home Depot, based in the suburban Vinings area; Delta Air Lines, which has its main operations and headquarters next to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; and the global shipping giant United Parcel Service.
Atlanta, however, could lose one of its Fortune 500 companies. Railroad operator Union Pacific has agreed to acquire Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. The deal has not yet received regulatory approval, and it faces legal challenges from several groups on antitrust grounds.
Real estate
The downtown Atlanta commercial real estate market has struggled for at least 20 years, especially in the office, multifamily and retail sectors. But some glimmers of a rebound have appeared in recent months.
The largest is the $5 billion Centennial Yards mixed-use project led by CIM Group. A portion of the first phase, a group of apartment towers, has already opened, and more are under construction. Centennial Yards is also designed to include a large entertainment district, an attempt to capitalize on the project’s location next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena, home to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.
Other signs of a rebound downtown include upgrades to the 191 Peachtree office tower, one of the city’s tallest buildings, and the renovation of the former CNN Center to retail, restaurants and other uses.
Downtown Atlanta’s hospitality market has continued to post solid figures in recent years, as the city routinely hosts major sports and entertainment events. The Georgia World Congress Center, one of the largest convention centers in the U.S., is frequently booked with major shows. However, inflation is cutting into corporate budgets, which could reduce convention attendance and lower hotel revenue.
Soccer venue
Atlanta has had plenty of experience hosting some of the world’s largest sports and entertainment events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Perhaps first on the list, it hosted the 2019 Super Bowl and is slated to host it again in 2028.
The retractable-roof facility, which opened in 2017 and is owned by the state of Georgia, serves as the home field of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, as well as Atlanta United. It’s also the regular home of the Southeastern Conference college football championship game and has hosted college football’s national championship game twice.
On the entertainment side, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Kendrick Lamar have all held concerts at the stadium. The stadium holds 71,000 for football games and 42,500 for soccer matches, but plans for the World Cup call for seating 75,000.
Soccer claim to fame
As for Atlanta United’s loyal fan base, the squad leads the league in attendance, and it’s not even close. In 2025, Atlanta United averaged 43,992 fans per match, according to Sports Business Journal. Seattle Sounders FC were a distant second, averaging 30,993.
The U.S. Soccer Federation, the governing body for all forms of soccer in the country, moved its headquarters this year from Chicago to a newly constructed facility in Fayetteville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.
The city plays host to national team favorites Spain, the 2010 winner of the World Cup, and Morocco, a 2022 semifinalist, in the group stage this year.