US Soccer Federation plans national training center and new headquarters in Atlanta

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank watches during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The U.S. Soccer Federation is planning to build a national training center in Atlanta with financial support from Arthur Blank.

The USSF announced plans for the training center on Friday. Blank, who owns the Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United, is contributing $50 million for the project. The site for the facility will be selected in January, the USSF said.

“This national training center will accelerate the growth of soccer in this country and will represent a commitment to developing elite soccer players for decades to come,” USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement.