The roar of the global soccer stage is officially coming to Cobb County as the world’s elite athletes prepare to descend on local pitches for top-tier training.
Atlanta United’s training ground in Marietta has secured its spot as the only official home base in Georgia to host a national team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Uzbekistan will move into the complex in June after Atlanta United invested $25 million to expand the training ground and establish an elite athletic setup, according to Atlanta United’s Senior Vice President of Strategy, Dimitrios Efstathiou.
The Central Asian football squad is currently ranked 50th globally and is led onto the pitch by captain Eldor Shomurodov.
Efstathiou noted that the venue secured the tournament contract after representatives from more than 12 qualified teams toured the campus. International federations made multiple repeat site visits during the fall and winter while local organizers showcased regional amenities.
“There were a number of federations that ranked us as their first choice. And we landed with Uzbekistan, which we are ecstatic about because not only is this going to be their first World Cup appearance ever, but it’s also they’re ranked as one of the best teams coming out of Asia,” Efstathiou said.
The expanded compound will serve as the full logistical center for the players and their entire operational staff. Team personnel will regularly commute between the Marietta training fields and the official FIFA Hotel Center located in Buckhead.
The Marietta hub will exclusively house the Uzbekistani team throughout the group stage matches of the tournament. However, once the high-stakes knockout rounds begin, the facility will transition to hosting different advancing teams for their ongoing training and tactical preparation.
Atlanta is scheduled to host three major knockout matches at the end of the tournament, including a round of 32 match, a round of 16 match, and a high-profile semifinal showdown. The local facilities will stay in use through the final weeks of global competition.
“We’ll have a team here that will be for the entire week, almost four or five days of training in Marietta. So we’re really excited,” Efstathiou said.
The local soccer infrastructure will see heavy use by international powerhouses competing late into the tournament. “These are going to be the best teams literally in the world coming to Atlanta, and they’re going to be in one of the best places to train,” Efstathiou added.
It remains to be seen what teams will advance to the final rounds of the tournament.
