(The Center Square) – More than half a million people attended Atlanta's World Cup matches and fan events, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
The economic impact numbers will be released in the next few weeks, but the attendance at the games and the FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta reached more than 500,000, according to the chamber. The eight matches played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium attracted 544,516 fans and more than 500,000 people, about 27,000 daily, attended the fan festival.
The games began with the June 15 game between eventual World Cup Champion Spain and Cabo Verde and ended on July 15 with a match between England and Argentina. Spain and Argentina played in the final game of the tournament on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, N.J., with Spain taking home the trophy after a 1-0 win.
"The 2026 FIFA World Cup came to Atlanta, and Atlanta delivered,” said Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet. “A citywide team effort led by Mayor Andre Dickens, supported by the Atlanta City Council, and executed by a dedicated group of public safety officials, transportation crews, airport staff, MARTA teams, our state and federal partners, and countless city of Atlanta employees made hosting the World Cup in Atlanta a seamless experience."
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, known as MARTA, said 4.7 million people rode the passenger rail system during the 35-day period.
The June 24 match between Morocco and Haiti was MARTA's busiest day with 240,000 trips, 2.6 times more than the average weekday, the agency said. The daily average number of riders was 130,000.
MARTA reported no major crimes during the event.
“Team MARTA showed up and showed out during the World Cup tournament, providing frequent service, ensuring the system was secure and riders were safe, and doing it with a welcoming smile and southern hospitality,” said MARTA interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt. “I am proud of every one of the almost 5,000 MARTA employees who moved millions of people safely and efficiently while our entire Atlanta metropolitan region was on the world stage.”
The World Cup games happened 30 years after Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics.
"This success was years in the making and made possible by the extraordinary collaboration between the business community and local, state and federal partners," said Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "Just as the 1996 Summer Olympic Games helped transform Atlanta’s global profile, FIFA World Cup 2026 created a new opportunity to tell our story to the world and build relationships that will support metro Atlanta’s growth for years to come.”
Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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