The Olympics. The Super Bowl. The Final Four. The College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
And now the World Cup.
In what will serve as yet another landmark event for the city, FIFA on Thursday announced that Atlanta will serve as one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup.
Atlanta missed out on being involved in the last World Cup held on the continent in 1994, which held solely within U.S. borders. But with Mercedes-Benz Stadium boasting plenty of big events in just 5 years, and with a vibrant and still-emerging soccer scene, the inclusion of the city this time around — with the 2026 World Cup set for 30 years after the United States were crowned the first-ever Olympic women’s soccer champions at Sanford Stadium in Athens — wasn’t a surprise.