USMNT feels at home in Atlanta: ‘You just feel the energy of the city around football’

The match, one of two Copa América matches held in the city, is the latest in an ever-expanding series of signposts marking Atlanta’s spectacular emergence as a soccer capital. A region once far from the sports mainstream in the United States now feels more like a showpiece.

ATLUTD has topped the MLS attendance charts since its first game on the field in 2017, thanks to the large and spirited MBS crowds that propelled the Five Stripes to trophies at the 2018 MLS Cup and US Open Cup 2019. United’s ability to connect with large swaths of the region’s diverse and growing population and reflect the city’s rich cultural tapestry has made the club a unifying experience for thousands of residents, many of whom are newcomers looking for community.

“You feel the energy of the city about football, and it’s a really good feeling when you come and play a game of this magnitude,” Turner said. “People really care, they care about the result, they care about the team’s performance. They know the players and all that; it’s truly pleasent. You don’t get asked random questions in the elevator about what college you play for or what sport you play. People are aware of what’s happening and it’s a very good feeling. »

The Benz also clearly made its mark on world football figures. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the opening Copa América match at the MBS between Argentina and Canada last week, and the impressive venue will host eight World Cup matches in 2026, including a half -final, just behind AT&T Stadium in Texas.

National team players like Turner also know they will get to know the southern capital better in the years to come.

In April, US Soccer broke ground on a new headquarters and training complex in suburban Fayette County, about 25 miles south of downtown Atlanta, the first-ever facility for this guy from the federation. Scheduled to open in 2026, the 200-acre project will ultimately involve more than $200 million in investment, with more than a dozen fields, more than 100,000 square feet of indoor play space and more than 200,000 square feet of locker rooms, meeting rooms and offices. and other efficient infrastructures.

Made possible by a $50 million contribution from ATLUTD owner Arthur Blank, the US Soccer National Training Center is named after him. With this universal home base for all U.S. national teams that the USSF has never had before, some players and staff are already preparing to move to Georgia.

“Atlanta is a progressive city. I think the academy will be a great place for all of us,” USMNT winger Tim Weah said Tuesday. “We’re all pretty much East Coast guys. So I see myself in the future investing in Atlanta as well, either buying land here or building a house, so my family can be close when I come back to visit them…”

“For his music career,” Turner interjected with a smile as he sat down next to Weah.

“It’s not a bad decision,” noted the Juventus man and New York native, whose residency at The A would represent the arrival of soccer royalty to the region. He is an exceptional player in his own right and his father George is a living legend, 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year and president of Liberia – one of several African countries with large expat communities in Atlanta and surrounding areas – from 2018 to 24.