On Dec. 5, FIFA held a televised drawing ceremony in Washington, D.C., that determined the 12 groups playing in the upcoming World Cup next year. It took another day, however, for FIFA to finalize the match schedule and determine which cities would host particular games.
Atlanta will host eight World Cup matches in 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium: five group stage games, two knockout stage games, and a semifinal. Teams in Groups A, C, H, and K were eligible to play in Atlanta during the group stage. While the lineup for Groups A and K has not been finalized due to qualifying match schedules, FIFA did include possible scenarios for the countries that may take those spots.
Atlanta will start off strong on June 15, with a match between Spain and Cape Verde. Nearly a week later, Spain will grace Mercedes-Benz Stadium once again, facing off against Saudi Arabia.
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On June 18, South Africa will play either Poland, Wales, or Finland, based on the results of the European Qualifier Playoffs in March.
Haiti and Morocco will play in Atlanta on June 21. Metro Atlanta’s Haitian population is the second-highest Caribbean community in the state, behind Jamaica.
On June 27, Uzbekistan will face either Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia based on the results of the Concacaf Qualifier Playoffs in March.
Atlanta will also host two knockout matches after that stage begins on June 28: a round of 32 match on July 1 and a round of 16 match on July 7. The city’s participation in World Cup gameplay culminates in a semifinal match on July 15.