U.S. Soccer to Put HQ and National Training Center in Metro Atlanta 

Atlanta has been making the case globally that it’s the epicenter of soccer in America. Now it has the proof, three years before it’s set to welcome the World Cup in 2026. 

U.S. Soccer has announced that it will put a National Training Center and headquarters in the metro area, fueled by a $50 million donation from the Arthur M. Blank Foundation. 

Aided in the search by Deloitte, the nation’s soccer federation is still eyeing various locations around the region and plans to announce the specific spot by January. 

“Atlanta’s incredible passion for soccer, corporate community and unmatched infrastructure make this a natural home for the National Training Center and I’m very confident our community will help America’s finest soccer players compete on a global level like never before,” Mr. Blank said in a statement. 

The news puts an exclamation point on Atlanta’s already-strong case as a place where soccer meets social development. 

In addition to state-of-the-art facilities accessible to coaches, referees and players for the 27 U.S. national teams, the center will also include programs and locker rooms designed with its nine extended national teams in mind, including its deaf, cerebral palsy, powerchair teams. 

The donation from Mr. Blank, the Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta United owner, will also go toward boosting the profile of soccer around the United States, with a specific focus on women’s national team camps, women’s coaching and mentorship and youth tournaments and conferences, according to a release from U.S. Soccer.

As part of the deal, U.S. Soccer will also develop programs aiding organizations involved in youth development through the sport, such as Soccer in the Streets and GA100, an initiative to build 100 soccer pitches throughout the state. 

Atlanta has a head start on such initiatives. In addition to the above groups, the metro area is home to a variety of other organizations using soccer as an engine for youth development in underserved communities, including among its refugee and immigrant populations. 

Atlanta United’s foundation and academy focus heavily on youth in the metro area, and organizations like Clarkston FC, North Fulton United FC, KSA, Ace Youth Soccer and others have been spotlighted for their social impact. 

These “superheroes of the pitch” were praised during the inaugural SoccerCon, the Atlanta Conference on Soccer and Innovation, in March, as Professor Kirk Bowman praised Atlanta for “the city’s unwavering dedication to using sports as a vehicle for social transformation” — a field he has studied in Brazil and beyond.

Soccer in the Streets has built a network of soccer pitches within MARTA stations and plans to institute a “league of stations” in advance of the World Cup. 

The announcement from U.S. Soccer also comes just after Atlanta hosted its first English Premier League matches, which officials praised as yet more evidence of its soccer ascendancy on the global stage. 

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who is calling 2023 the Year of the Youth in the city, helped kick off those matches. 

In a statement, he said the new training center is excited about “our city becoming even more of a soccer destination than it already is.”

“Atlanta is a sports town—and just like soccer in America, we are dynamic, diverse and passionate. There is no better place for this sport to call home during such a critical time,” the mayor said. 

U.S. Soccer said the presence of longtime partner Coca-Cola Co. was another key reason it landed in the city. The beverage giant has been a FIFA partner since 1974, and in July Coca-Cola North America announced a long-term partnership with U.S. Soccer that the federation said would help the sport “realize exponential growth in the United States in the coming years.” 

Gov. Brian Kemp also heralded the news, noting that it builds on the legacy of events like the 1996 Olympics in bringing new economic opportunities to the state. 

Georgia’s tourism sector will get a boost, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which announced this week that the state welcomed 167 million domestic visitors in 2022, spending $39.8 billion.