For David Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of U.S. Soccer, this weekend’s SheBelieves Cup is not only a watershed moment for Atlanta soccer fans, but it represents a showcase of just how the city continues to shine as a true soccer capital. In an interview with Scarves and Spikes, Wright described the experience that U.S. Soccer fans can expect in and around Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the implications these early international matches could have for future tournaments like the World Cup, and what made Atlanta such a premier – and obvious – choice as U.S. Soccer’s headquarters.
“We’ve been very public in our efforts to bring the 2027 Women’s World Cup to the U.S. in partnership with Mexico,” Wright explained when asked about the strategic implications of SheBelieves Cup and other national matches in Atlanta. “There is a chance that Atlanta could be the market to host the final if we’re lucky to host the World Cup in ’27. For us, we’ve leaned in hard and we know this is an incredible showcase for the Atlanta market, for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and could be an incredible precursor to what a final could look like. It’s very much in the backs of our minds and we know it’s going to be a great indication of things to come.”
While Atlanta may seem like a shoe-in for such a massive soccer event like the Women’s World Cup final, this weekend is already set to likely break records. The benchmark attendance for a USWNT friendly match is 49000, and as of this publication, SheBelieves Cup is only about 2000 away from that mark. When asked if the record would be broken Saturday, Wright was beyond confident.
“100 percent. I think we’ll actually hit it before game day, but with walk-ups it’ll put us well past that. Atlanta is a soccer hotbed,” Wright noted. “You’re going to see world-class competition inside the white lines. Our Women’s National Team is hitting their stride, it’s made up of incredible, proven veterans like Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan but also a lot of up and coming dynamic players. But, what’s also interesting around this SheBelieves tournament is you have a couple of local players in Emily Sonnett and Jane Campbell.”
The SheBelieves Cup opener, pitting the USWNT against old rivals Japan, will be the first of two matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. The second will be Brazil facing off against Canada. The diversity of the matchups in addition to the medley of cultures that Atlanta both calls home and welcomes to the city are incredibly fitting for this first massive event since U.S. Soccer announced Atlanta as its headquarters a few months ago.
“It’s going to be incredibly exciting for the fans. And I think equally as important is you’re going to see an energy around this team and the participating teams that make our sport really special. It’s a diverse makeup of next-generation fans that are incredibly passionate about this game, and you’ll see that on display. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is going to be rocking on Saturday,” Wright said with a hint of pride. “There’s going to be an energy to this weekend…that fans of U.S. Soccer have come to expect, but for some fans that might be new, I think they’ll leave saying ‘Holy cow, I need to be a part of that.'”
Wright went on to mention how massive this is for the beautiful game, since the ability to engage with current and prospective fans is how the popularity continues to grow. Thankfully, Atlanta already knows a thing or two about building new generations of soccer fans and players.
There aren’t many rival locations in the United States, much less the world, that have the right mixture of ingredients to both sustain and grow a soccer ecosystem than Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta United has already proven what many thought to be impossible – that the beautiful game cannot only survive in the south, but absolutely thrive. After eight years and counting of breaking (read: smashing) attendance records and creating one of the most fun and unique atmospheres in football, the next step was for U.S. Soccer to get in on the action.
In addition to the aforementioned multicultural fan base and population, Atlanta has a thriving youth soccer scene, favorable weather, and the busiest airport in the world – which is massive for U.S. players to be able to catch a non-stop flight from almost anywhere in the world. Both Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the new headquarters in Fayette County are short drives from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. And importantly, Atlanta is home to people and companies that simply desire to grow soccer in this country.
“From where I sit there are a lot of factors you evaluate,” said Wright when chatting about the decision-making process of bringing U.S. Soccer to Atlanta. “The fanbase is really important, a diverse, next-generation fanbase which Atlanta is incredibly well known for. But also the corporate heartbeat. You think of a company like Coca-Cola: they’re a long-term partner of U.S. Soccer now. They’re arguably the biggest brand, not only in Atlanta, but quite possibly in the world. It’s important to know that they were incredibly instrumental in our decision to come to Atlanta with the National Training Center. They were the first founding partner of the facility and to have their commitment from day one was a really strong testament to Atlanta as a viable market. As Coke often goes, so do other big brands. There is no shortage of interest amongst prospective corporate partners in U.S. Soccer now.”
David Wright also had high praise for AMBSE and Arthur Blank. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a world class facility by every definition of the term, something that AMBSE has planned from the moment the location was designed. Local partners will be installing high-quality, regionally-grown grass for SheBelieves Cup and other national team matches, which all ties into the successful bid to bring World Cup matches to Atlanta in 2026. But for now, this is one of many opportunities for Atlanta to show the world the unique atmosphere that could potentially host the aforementioned Women’s World Cup in 2027, perhaps even that final.
“Come early!” Wright exclaimed. “We’re going to have a block party that’s going to have a lot of fun fan engagement opportunities. We’re just so thankful for the Atlanta market, it’s stood tall and is showing up big time and they’ll be part of setting a record, which doesn’t happen everyday.”
It’s almost time for Atlanta to start showing the world what soccer looks like in the dirty south!
As part of our SheBelieves Cup coverage, come join us just after the double header on Saturday, April 6th at 6:30 at the new Signia by Hilton hotel/Nest on Four bar right next door to Mercedes-Benz Stadium! We’ll be hosting a live show recapping the first matches of the SheBelieves Cup before previewing Atlanta United vs NYCFC – and then we’re hanging out for a watch party – and it’s open to everyone. Come chill with the Scarves and Spikes crew!