Atlanta’s World Cup Possibilities Set for Group Stage After Draw

With the FIFA World Cup’s technical draw Friday came promising possibilities for group round matchups to be held in Atlanta, with many of the potential competitor countries boasting large diaspora communities or diplomatic outposts in the city. 

Boosters of the city’s bid for a piece of the world’s largest sporting event came together at Fado Irish Pub at Buckhead Village to watch the star-studded affair in Washington. 

During the event, most of the 48 qualifying teams were added to 12 groups of four teams each. (A few slots remain to be determined by playoff matches that will be held early next year). 

Atlanta’s first round matches will include teams from groups A, C, H and K, with perennial powerhouses like Spain (Group H) and Brazil (Group C) in mix. Mexico, which is in Group A, will play all of its matches at home, given its status as one of the three countries in the North American bid for football’s biggest tournament. 

But other intriguing possibilities abound. Atlanta’s massive Korean community, billed as the third largest in the country, would welcome a potential South Korea match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Such a spectacle would also likely give visibility to mega investors building transformative factories in the state. 

Meanwhile, a contest featuring South Africa  — where Mayor Andre Dickens led a cultural and creative trade mission in October — would put an exclamation point on recent bilateral engagements and the city’s effort to brand itself a gateway to for the continent. (It would also be a welcome consolation prize after Nigeria, which holds fond memories of taking home a dramatic men’s gold medal in the 1996 Olympics, was eliminated).

For those disappointed not to see their countries in the draw, Metro Atlanta Chamber officials reminded Global Atlanta Friday that the city could still woo the base camps of teams not set to play here, an option that could bring its own set of positive impacts. 

Speaking during a recent Global Atlanta event, Brazilian Consul General Pompeu Andreucci Neto said he would relish the possibility of welcoming Brazilians fans to the city, recalling his busy time handling presidential protocol in Brasilia when Brazil hosted the cup in 2014. 

But he offered some words of advice — execution, not entertainment, is paramount for a successful tournament: 

“What is absolutely essential, in terms of any country hosting a World Cup, is infrastructure. It’s not a matter of parties, it’s not a matter of games, it’s not a matter of sports. No, it’s infrastructure,” Mr. Neto said. 

Thirty years after the Centennial Olympic Games, Atlanta should know a thing or two about that. 

The final matchups won’t be known until Saturday, but as it stood Friday, of the 20 possible teams playing in Atlanta, excluding Mexico, almost half of them have a consulate or honorary consulate that would serve as a potential convener for watch parties or other community events.

Possible national teams coming to ATL for group matches include: 

Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, playoff winner (*Czech Republic, *Denmark, Ireland or North Macedonia)

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, *Cape Verde

Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, playoff winner (*Jamaica, Congo or New Caledonia)

Bold countries have consular representation in Georgia
*honorary consulate

See the full results below:

See full coverage by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution here, and a photo slideshow of the Buckhead Village event here.