Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a model for 2026 World Cup sites

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, will be one of the most prominent venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The stadium will host its first World Cup match, Spain vs. Cape Verde, on Monday, June 15, and then host four more group-stage matches, one Round of 32, one Round of 16, and a semifinal on Wednesday, July 15.

On March 3, our AIPS group paid a site visit to Mercedes-Benz, which is home to the Atlanta United of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).

In addition, the stadium hosts major US college football and basketball championship games, Georgia state high school football championships, and many other events, including concerts by big-time artists.

Our AIPS group of Paul Lennon (Ireland), Carlos Melo (Mexico), and Rudy Nuyens (Belgium) arrived at the stadium after morning briefings by FIFA.

Upon arrival, stadium president and COO, Dietmar Exler, welcomed our group, which also included FIFA media representatives.

Exler educated us about the stadium's construction, the events it hosts, and its operations during the World Cup. For fans, concession prices for several basic items (hot dogs, pizza, fries, nachos, beer) range from $2 - $5, unheard of in most U.S. stadiums and arenas.

Following Exler’s talk, Jason Kirksey, media operations director, took us for a tour around the stadium, accompanied by Adam Fullerton, vice president of stadium operations, and Chris Winkler, communications director for the United.

The stadium has already begun growing grass with the help of irrigation, pink-hued grow lights, and fertilizer. Kirksey told us the pitch we saw will be used for United games and high school championships, and that they would remove it and grow a new grass surface for the World Cup. Kirksey added that the roof will be closed for the World Cup, creating an indoor climate for the pitch.

Of note for journalists is the press box, which holds 249. The main press box is located in a corner of the stadium, a standard configuration for most U.S. stadiums. Most seats have a good view of the pitch, though we were told there may be “a few seats” that have an obstructed view of the near corner.

Helping to make up for any viewing difficulty is the stadium’s 63,800 sq. ft. halo video board that encircles the stadium. Kirksey told us that if the board were cut in half, it would be the tallest building in Atlanta. There are also plenty of newly upgraded TV monitors in the press box, some with an 8-second delay to help journalists who may miss something in real time.

Photographers will find the same accommodations at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as at other World Cup venues. There will be elevated positions in the media tribune as well as positions at pitch level.

Our group got a bird’s eye view of the stadium when Kirksey led the tour on a climb up to and onto the roof. After taking thousands of steps up flights of stairs and across walkways, we were accompanied onto the roof, 180 feet above the highest seat, according to a 2019 Atlanta Journal-Constitution story.

The view down to the field on the inside was a bit scary, but the view from the roof outside was magnificent.

And magnificence is what Mercedes-Benz Stadium management hopes the international media will experience in June and July.

For more Mercedes-Benz Stadium media information, click here.