Spain won the World Cup on Sunday.
Atlanta, as a city and host, also was a big winner.
From the excitement of the eight matches it hosted—including both finalists playing in “Atlanta Stadium” during their runs to the title game—to its best-in-class attendance for the fan festivals (prompting city officials to add an extra day to the schedule), to the ease of public transportation, to the air conditioning (of all things), Atlanta again established itself as a city that knows how to host gigantic and important events. (Be sure to check out our robust coverage of the entire event.)
We made the past month seem so been-there, done-that, it was difficult to
understand how much communication, planning, and execution was required for
the past four years from an ABC kaleidoscope of agencies. “After years of
preparation and incredible partnership between the state and local levels, we
couldn’t be prouder of Georgia’s showing during the FIFA World Cup,” Gov. Brian
Kemp said in part of a statement issued by tournament organizers.
The numbers:
• 2.5 million MARTA riders, a 200% increase in ridership.
• 544,516 in announced attendance for the matches.
• 500,000 fans welcomed to the festival at Centennial Park.
• 2,000 media from 89 countries.
• 2,000 volunteers who donated 10,000 shifts and 55,000 hours of service.
• 150 community events and watch parties around the state.
• 0 major instances requiring law enforcement.
“It’s a beautiful game; it’s called a beautiful game,” says Arthur Blank, who
envisioned and led efforts to construct our FIFA-ready stadium. “It’s an
unbelievable human connection, and I think it’s coming to America at a perfect
time and coming to Atlanta at a perfect time. And I couldn’t be prouder of all of our
associates here, our leadership here, our mayor, our governor, all the agencies
involved in creating this unbelievably smooth environment.”
Atlanta has already proven it can host Olympics, Super Bowls, College Football National Championship games, Final Fours in college basketball, UFC fights, mega-concerts … any major event.
It can add World Cup to its resume.
Atlanta’s success has positioned it to be in the running to help host the 2031
Women’s World Cup. It seems likely that the World Cup will return to North
America in 2038—and Atlanta will no doubt aim to host again.
“This was truly a team effort, with our host committee staff, civic, community, and
business leaders, partners, public agencies, and volunteers all coming together to
create something truly special,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports
Council and Atlanta World Cup Host Committee, in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who played a role in showcasing why we are the best city in the world for hosting sports and major events.”
