Arthur Blank calls hosting World Cup semifinal one of highlights of his life
· Yahoo Sports
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Back in 2012 when Arthur Blank first started thinking about plans to replace the Georgia Dome, his focus and mission were clear.
The Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta sports mogul wanted to build a state-of-the-art stadium that could host the biggest events in the world.
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Fourteen years later, Mercedes-Benz Stadium just hosted the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup semifinal.
Blank called it one of the highlights of his life.
“Welcoming fans from all over the world, all of the United States, the camaraderie, the connections, the combativeness, you know, their passions. And that’s been a beautiful thing to be part of. And Atlanta’s handled it so well,” Blank said.
Blank has spent his life trying to make Atlanta one of the premiere cities in the world, one that competes both economically and culturally and shines bright when the world is watching.
“It’s what we all want in our lives every day and we have to find a way to create World Cup every day in our life to bring that much joy. To ourselves personally and to everybody else we’re connected to, and Atlanta’s done a great job of doing that,” Blank said.
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What comes next for Atlanta and its place in the soccer world? FIFA wants to expand its ties with the city following the World Cup success.
“Well, I just spoke to the leadership, including the president of FIFA, and they couldn’t be more enthused, excited, supportive of what we’ve done here in Atlanta,“ Blank said.
”And he [Infantino] was kind of saying to me, after this is done, love to come back to Atlanta, spend some time with you, talking about, you know, how we can continue to expand our relationship with FIFA. I said it would be an honor and privilege to do that."
Atlanta will be a major player should the U.S. host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Many think the city will be a lock to host the championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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