Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host eight 2026 FIFA World Cup games, including a semifinal, as part of the city’s push to make fan access affordable and to capitalize on the World Cup moment for lasting growth in soccer.

The article notes funding details and contributors as part of establishing the national training center.

The National Training Center on a 200-acre site serves all 27 U.S. national teams and standardizes coaching, refereeing, and development with access to advanced sports science and facilities.

Hayes describes the center as a long-awaited base to reduce travel disruption and foster a sense of belonging, accelerating player development.

U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson highlights on-time, on-budget delivery of the project, with Blank framing the center as a community-focused home for generations of players.

The NTC unifies U.S. Soccer headquarters with club infrastructure on a 200-acre campus, reinforcing Atlanta’s central role in the sport’s governance and development.

Michele Kang provided women’s-focused support for the project, backing its emphasis on female leadership and participation.

The center emphasizes accessibility and inclusivity with features such as continuous surface accessibility, tactile and audio/visual elements, lower benches, and a power chair charging room.

AMB Sports and Entertainment leaders emphasize that while teams influence on-field play, they can actively shape the fan experience off the field as part of this affordability and accessibility drive.

Arthur and Josh Blank frame Atlanta as the epicenter of soccer in North America during the World Cup lead-up, aiming to convert this window into sustained growth for the sport in the region.

Cindy Parlow Cone, elected USSF president in 2020, has long pursued a national training center to unite US Soccer’s operations and development under one roof.

Hayes outlines a vision to transform coaching education and deliver the game through a female-informed lens, boosting women’s leadership within U.S. soccer over the next decade.