World Cup fever is already hitting the city of Atlanta hard.
Atlanta's host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought people together for a watch party during the tournament's draw at and around FadĆ³ Irish Pub in Buckhead. Even in the cold temps, fans showed out with energy and excitement as they watched the teams get put into their groups for the competition next summer. The next day, they learned which nations will be squaring off in Atlanta.
The event was hosted by two familiar faces for the Atlanta United fans in attendance, club legend Brad Guzan and Atlanta United's radio play-by-play voice Mike Conti. The two kicked off the event and fostered discussion about what was unfolding during breaks in the draw broadcast. There were t-shirt tosses, pub challenges, food trucks, mascots and more for a fitting celebration of what's to come in Atlanta.
Atlanta United's presence at the party came in the form of a lounge. The space, created in collaboration with Coca-Cola, featured Atlanta United decorations, heaters for the cold, a private viewing area with couches for seating, Coke sampling and more. 17s joined the celebration by repping their club and countries. Flags from nations all over the world flew, united by their Red and Black stripes.
After the draw concluded, the club made use of its new Emory Healthcare Studio with its first live show in the space. Hosted by Joe Freihofer and featuring Atlanta United Head of International Player Recruitment & Development Jonathan Spector, the two reacted to the results of the draw and gave their predictions on their favorites to win the tournament.
The club's presence around the city of Atlanta was on full display Friday, as Vice President of Integrated Marketing Mike Ridley attended Hartsfield-Jackson Airport's draw watch party. He spoke on the airport's storytelling podcast, Under the Canopy, about Atlanta United's role in Atlanta and the city's fervor for being on the world stage.
Diehards and new fans alike came together across the city to see what's in store for next summer. Even to those ingrained in international soccer, the draw process can be confusing. Here's a breakdown of what went down Friday:
What's the new format of the tournament?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will, for the first time, be comprised of 48 nations. They'll be placed into 12 groups lettered A through L, four to a group. The two teams with the most points in each group (24 in total) will advance to the knockout stage of the competition. Another new aspect of 2026 will be the addition of the eight third-place teams with the most points into the knockout round as well ā creating a 32-team knockout with an additional round compared to previous tournaments.
How did they draw the teams into their groups?
Teams were placed into four pots based on FIFA Rankings, with the highest ranked national teams in Pot 1 and lower ranked teams following in Pots 2, 3 and 4. One team from each pot was assigned to each group to promote competitive balance throughout the tournament. The three host nations for the tournament ā the United States, Mexico and Canada ā were automatically placed into Pot 1 regardless of their FIFA rankings, giving them potentially more favorable group stage matchups against teams from Pots 2, 3 and 4.
The draw began with Pot 1, and as each nation was selected at random, they were placed into groups in order A through L. Once Pot 1 was complete, the Pot 2 teams were drawn randomly and assigned in the same order of groups. Pots 3 and 4 followed until all the groups were complete.
While each team was selected at random, there were a couple of important parameters that governed what group they could be placed in. The most important rule dictated that teams from the same continent were not allowed to be in the same group ā so as to promote matchups between nations less familiar with each other. For example, if an African team was drawn into a group that already had an African nation in it, the team would be placed in the next group alphabetically. The only exception to the rule was European nations, as the sheer number of them competing in the tournament makes it necessary.
Why are some spots still not confirmed?
Six of the participants in the tournament are still to be determined via playoff matches. Those spots were still assigned to groups. For example, Mexico's Group A opponents will be Korea Republic, South Africa and the winner of a playoff that could be any of Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Ireland.
If the written word is less your speed, Atlanta's host committee put together an explainer video for these questions and more featuring MLS broadcaster Kevin Egan as well as a few cameos from Atlanta United front office staff:
Who will play matches in Atlanta?
We now know which nations will play matches in the 404 next summer. Atlanta will host five group stage matches and three knockout round battles.
- Spain vs Cabo Verde, June 15 at 12 p.m. ET
- Playoff qualifier (Denmark/North Macedonia/Czechia/Republic of Ireland) vs South Africa, June 18 at 12 p.m. ET
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia, June 21 at 12 p.m. ET
- Morocco vs Haiti, June 24 at 6 p.m. ET
- Playoff qualifier (Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia) vs Uzbekistan, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET
The three knockout matches will be a Round of 32 match, a Round of 16 match and a semifinal. We know for sure that the first place team from Group L will play in the Round of 32 match, a group that contains England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
The Atlanta slate is full of compelling matchups. It features a Spain side that is currently No. 1 in the FIFA ranking and underdogs with massively passionate fanbases like Haiti and Cabo Verde. The schedule is set. Now is the hardest part: waiting. June can't come soon enough.
