By the numbers: More than 500,000 fans attend fan festival, World Cup matches in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — After hosting eight matches, Atlanta’s FIFA World Cup 2026 run is over — but the tournament will go down in history as one of the city’s most well-attended events.

According to the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium — previously dubbed the Atlanta Stadium due to FIFA branding rules — welcomed 544,516 fans over the matches. FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta also drew more than 500,000 visitors over its 19 days of operation, making it one of the most popular FIFA festivals in the country.

RELATED: Defending champion Argentina reaches World Cup final by beating England 2-1

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called the effort a group project.

“Years of planning, preparation and partnerships paid off in a big way to deliver a safe, enjoyable experience for the hundreds of thousands of match and Fan Fest attendees, small businesses and residents — resulting in an impact that will resonate for decades," he said.

Here are a few other notable statistics:

• MARTA transported more than 2.5 million riders. That’s almost a 200% increase from regular ridership.
• More than 2,000 volunteers completed more than 10,000 shifts, giving 55,000 hours of service.
• More than 2,000 media from 82 countries visited the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and more than 2,200 from 89 countries visited FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta.
• More than 4,500 children statewide benefited from soccer programming from the committee’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia.
• Local organizations hosted more than 150 community events and watch parties.
• More than 200 Savannah College of Art & Design students and alumni contributed to the event’s art and design.

While the city’s matches are over, Piedmont Park will host a watch party for the World Cup final on July 19, highlighted by a performance from the Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris.

The city’s next major sporting event is the 2028 Super Bowl.

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