The Mercedes-Benz Stadium Transformation The arrival of FIFA means the Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a different look than we’re used to. First, the name has temporarily changed: Because of FIFA’s sponsorship rules, it’s going by “Atlanta Stadium” for the World Cup. Tarps with FIFA and World Cup branding cover the Mercedes-Benz logos on the stadium’s exterior, but the roof—which integrates a massive, impossible-to-cover Mercedes-Benz symbol—has been spared. Inside the stadium, World Cup logos and memorabilia also take over much of the Atlanta United and Atlanta Falcons branding. The field also has an important difference: the grass. Instead of its usual synthetic turf, the field is now blanketed in a blue-rye grass mixture that FIFA developed in a lab to thrive (under grow lights) even in an air-conditioned stadium. While the grass, which is here only for the World Cup, may seem like a small aesthetic change, it’s a FIFA requirement and one teams pay close attention to: When Atlanta installed grass for Copa America 2024 and the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, players gave the field harsh reviews. With this new mixture, the third time’s (hopefully) the charm. Tickets, Tickets, Tickets With a reported 500 million ticket requests, FIFA’s ticketing practices have come under scrutiny for the 2026 edition of the World Cup. Tickets were released more than a year in advance through random lottery systems, and hospitality packages with dynamic pricing were offered. Most fans ultimately received random seat assignments, at prices that were on average more than double the 2022 World Cup—for which group-stage tickets ranged from roughly $11 to $220, compared to about $300 to $400 in 2026. This spring, FIFA released single-match tickets, and as of press time, some were still available for select group-stage (June) matches in Atlanta. But seats go fast, and once they do, the best bet for resale tickets is FIFA’s Official Resale Marketplace (through which fans sell authenticated tickets) or typical third-party ticket apps such as StubHub or SeatGeek. Pro tip: If you’re still looking for relatively affordable tickets, target Atlanta’s group-stage matches. Getting There To avoid traffic—at least the car kind—take MARTA. Atlanta’s transit service got a facelift before the World Cup, implementing new modern rail cars and a tap-to-pay fare system. Travelers can also take advantage of MARTA Reach, an app that allows them to request a shuttle ride (pickup is within 30 minutes) to the closest rail station. Once you’re on the train, take the Blue/Green lines to the SEC District or Vine City stations, depending on which gate you want to enter. Coming from north or south and need to transfer west? The current Five Points renovation may cause delays. If you arrived at the station early enough and are in the mood for a walk, stroll from Five Points to the stadium. It’s one mile, or approximately 20 minutes. If you need to drive, purchase parking ahead of time from FIFA (instead of through the usual Mercedes-Benz Stadium channels)—only ticket holders are eligible. For ADA parking, try the red and orange decks for proximity; the blue and yellow parking lots offer shuttle service. Elsewhere in Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Transportation will sprinkle the metro with traffic warnings, and extra officers will direct busy intersections. At the airport, ramped-up operations aim for little to no disruption to locals, and the South Terminal Parking Deck has opened for the World Cup. This article appears in our June 2026 issue. The post “Atlanta Stadium” 101: Your guide to the chaos that comes with World Cup matchday appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less