Generating Buzz: World Cup Puts Atlanta Back in Global Spotlight

Posted May 31, 2026

When Spain and Cabo Verde take the pitch inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium (temporarily renamed Atlanta Stadium) on June 15, Atlanta will become one of two U.S. cities to have hosted the Olympics, a Super Bowl, an NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, a College Football National Championship, and a World Cup match, further cementing its status as a global sports city. 

Declan Abernethy, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to events of the past, how the city’s capacity to host “mega-events” has changed since the 1996 Olympic Games, and expectations for the visitor and viewer experience. 

Abernethy teaches courses at the intersection of sport, history, and science and technology studies, with an emphasis on the culture and community around soccer.

Listen to the full podcast on the GT News Center website.