Atlanta contacted about 2026 World Cup

Atlanta has been contacted about participating as a host city for the 2026 World Cup.

Atlanta Sports Council Pres- ident Dan Corso confirmed the interest from the United Bid Committee, a group representing the soccer federations of United States, Mexico and Canada, in its joint bid to host the 48-team soc- cer tournament.

The U.S. could host as many as 60 matches, with Mexico and Canada hosting 10 each.

Atlanta was a part of the U.S. failed bid to host the 2022 World Cup. The city was submitted as a potential host site for a game(s) and the interna- tional broadcast center, with the Georgia World Congress Center serving as the headquarters for that.

Atlanta has been one of the better stories in MLS and soccer this season. Atlanta United leads MLS in average attendance (more than 46,000) in eight games at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. The team’s attendance is higher than any of the leaders in MLB, NHL or the NBA, though they host many more games.

Atlanta United will host Orlando City on Saturday in the final game at Tech. The Five Stripes will move into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in September. Its first game there will come Sept. 10 against Dallas.

While giving a tour of the new $1.5 billion stadium Tuesday, Atlanta United President Darren Eales said they want the venue to be good enough to potentially host the finals of a World Cup.

The U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup. Atlanta wasn’t one of the host cities. It was preparing to host 1996 Summer Olympics.