Why should Atlanta have all the fun and collect all the revenue as one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The “fun” includes the many activations tied to the FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park and, of course, the matches themselves. With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected for Atlanta’s eight World Cup matches, the city will be buzzing with an influx of global visitors.
But it turns out neighboring municipalities may see significant financial benefits as well. Atlanta is projected to see an economic impact of roughly $500 million. And when it’s all over, the nearby City of Decatur, just six transit stops from downtown Atlanta, could see anywhere from $6 million to $142 million in economic activity.
That wide range is based on several factors, said Tom Smith, a professor of finance and economist at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Smith and another researcher co‑authored a report comparing Decatur’s past major events and estimating what World Cup‑related traffic could bring.
“We also looked at the number of restaurants and bars, the total number of activities they were going to be hosting, including concerts, and identified how many people they could attract,” he said.
Smith joined Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold to discuss the new report focused solely on Decatur’s potential revenue. They told “Closer Look” host Rose Scott how the city of roughly 25,000 could also benefit from the World Cup matches scheduled for June and July.
