Children playing through Soccer in the Streets, an Atlanta World Cup Host Committee partnerCourtesy of Soccer in the Streets FIFA World Cup 2026 Atlanta has always been about more than a monthlong summer event. Its host committee has teamed up with Soccer in the Streets and Boys Girls Clubs of Geor gia to create a legacy that lasts well after the competition concludes. Local nonprofit Soccer in the Streets, which is celebrating 37 years of operation, is well known for its StationSoccer program, a citywide community project built around a vision of creating a network of mini soccer fields anchored by MARTA transit stations. So far, it has built fields at six MARTA locations: Five Points, West End, East Point, Lindbergh, East Lake, and Kensington. The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee has partnered with the organization to create another mini-pitch at the Hamilton E. Holmes station west of Downtown. “We’ve already started working in the schools near the H.E. Holmes station by providing soccer programs, and now those kids will have an ecosystem of soccer in school and after school,” says Sanjay Patel, director of strategic initiatives for Soccer in the Streets. “The legacy is that all kids in the area are able to play soccer without having to travel long distances by car.” A MARTA-adjacent mini soccer field created by Soccer in the StreetsCourtesy of Soccer in the Streets Soccer in the StreetsCourtesy of Soccer in the Streets Georgia O’Donoghue, the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee’s chief operating officer, says she’s excited for what’s ahead. “If you can get on a MARTA bus or train, you can reach a field, learn the game, and experience the values of teamwork, collaboration, and setting goals together,” she says. The reach of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Atlanta goes beyond the metro area. The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee is working with Boys Girls Clubs of Georgia to bring FIFA World Cup 2026– related youth programming to towns across the state, including Albany, Athens, Augusta, Blue Ridge, Brunswick, Columbus, Dalton, Fayetteville, Gainesville, Macon, Rome, Savannah, Statesboro, Valdosta, and Thomasville. Programs will include mentorship, youth engagement events and clinics, and equipment donations. “All of it can be life-changing,” says Kristine Steinmann, executive director of the Georgia Alliance for the Boys Girls Clubs of Georgia. “This partnership makes that possible.” The post How World Cup 2026 is investing in Atlanta’s youth appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less