This FIFA World Cup summer, five Atlanta art exhibitions make the case that the beautiful game has always been as much about culture as it’s about competition. The proof is on the walls, from Edgewood Avenue to Emory’s campus.

Here’s what to see.

A photograph of Atlanta United players on the pitch by Atlanta photographer Sheila Pree Bright, part of ‘Through Our Eyes,’ a group photography exhibition inspired by the FIFA World Cup’s arrival in Atlanta. (Courtesy of One Contemporary

‘Through Our Eyes’ at One Contemporary

June 11 – July 26 | Opening reception:  6–9 p.m., Thursday, June 11

Sponsored by Leica Camera USA in its centennial year, ‘Through Our Eyes’ is co-curated by Atlanta photographer Sheila Pree Bright. In it, four women photographers document Atlanta’s communities through four distinct lenses: fan culture, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrant communities, and the Atlanta University Center’s HBCU corridor. Nicole Craine, Ysa Lopez, and Julie Yarbrough make their inaugural gallery showing alongside Bright, whose companion exhibition is currently on view at Emory University.

Learn more about ‘Through Our Eyes’

Oil painting of a wooden artist mannequin executing a bicycle kick against a colorful crowd scene.
A painting by Melvin Toledo, part of ‘Art of the Game,’ an international group exhibition exploring the culture and passion of soccer through painting, drawing, and mixed media at Gallery Chimera in Atlanta, June 11 through July 11. (Courtesy of Gallery Chimera)

June 11 – July 11 | Opening reception: 7:30–9:30 p.m., Saturday, June 13, 

Presented by the Contrapunto Group, ‘Art of the Game’ brings together an international roster of artists,  including Jorge Arcos, Pedro Fuertes, Cata Gomez Beuth, Dora Lopez, Wilay Visual Art, Carlos A. Solis, and Melvin Toledo. The show explores the passion, movement, and cultural weight of soccer through painting, drawing, and mixed media. And the collection is also available to view — and shop — online.

Learn more about  ‘Art of the Game’

Giclée print of two animated soccer balls with arms and legs mid-match, one gold and one orange, with a teal foot kicking between them, signed Caleb Morris.
Caleb Morris brings his signature cartoon energy to the beautiful game in this giclée print, part of ‘Lines of Play’ at ABV Gallery, one of the Atlanta art exhibitions FIFA World Cup 2026 has inspired across the city. (Courtesy of ABV Gallery)

Through July 5

ABV Gallery — the 8,500-square-foot cultural hub housed in a restored historic church in East Atlanta Village — opened ‘Lines of Play’ on June 6 in celebration of the World Cup. The group exhibition features more than 30 local and international artists showcasing players in motion, electric crowd scenes, abstract interpretations, and everything in between. A digital catalog is available upon request.

See ‘Lines of Play’ at ABV Gallery in East Atlanta Village

Atlanta United fan in mirror sunglasses smiles and gestures at a crowded soccer watch party, scarf reading "Black History Is Atlanta History" raised above the crowd.
An Atlanta United fan celebrates at a watch party — the kind of moment at the heart of the ‘Where We Gather’ series, part of Emory University’s ‘Footwork’ exhibit. (Courtesy of Carlos Museum at Emory University)

‘Footwork’ at Carlos Museum at Emory University

Through July 19

‘Footwork: Celebrating Soccer, Culture, and Community’ traces Atlanta’s interconnected stories of soccer, civil rights, and globalism from 1968 to today. Co-curated by Randy Gue of Emory’s Rose Library and Melissa Carnegie, founder of Charlotte-based lifestyle brand Kicks & Fros, the show draws on memorabilia, historical photos, and artifacts documenting the early days of the Atlanta Chiefs and the National Professional Soccer League and the adidas archives tracing the parallel evolution of World Cup culture and streetwear.

See ‘Footwork’ exhibition details

A football fan runs through the streets, body painted in his national team’s colors — one of the images from Andrew Dosunmu’s ‘The African Game,’ on view at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta through July 25. The FIFA World Cup 2026 exhibition captures football devotion across nine African nations. (Courtesy of ADAMA)

‘The African Game’ at ADAMA

Through July 25

Nigerian photographer and filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu turns his lens toward the people who make football what it is: the fans. Shot across Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, his fútbol fan series, now on display at Pittsburgh Yards’s African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta, is part classic portraiture and part documentary. 

View images from ‘’The African Game’

Read More:
• Free FIFA World Cup watch parties, festivals, and fan events around Atlanta
• All Stripes and Pride House ensure LGBTQ+ safety during Atlanta World Cup

Sherri Daye Scott is a freelance writer and producer based in Atlanta. She edits the Sketchbook newsletter for Rough Draft.