Thousands gather at Atlanta FIFA Fan Festival despite extreme heat

ATLANTA - Centennial Olympic Park transformed into a massive celebration of global culture on Saturday as thousands of soccer fans packed downtown Atlanta for day three of FIFA's Fan Festival.

What we know:

A bustling crowd of international and local families took advantage of numerous community activities ahead of Sunday afternoon's matches. Fans representing different countries gathered at Centennial Olympic Park to celebrate the tournament, filling the downtown area with music and team colors.

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Attendees played games on the soccer pitch and visited brand installations, including a custom Lego popup. The weather was hot and humid on Saturday, prompting some of the younger children to run through the park's fountains to cool off while waiting for the games to begin.

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What they're saying:

The build-up brought intense energy from opposing sides, particularly from groups supporting Brazil and Morocco.

"It really gets you immersed into that whole FIFA experience," said Morocco fan Munib A., who noted the strength of his team. "It's a strong team, and we have, I think, we have a good chance. Hopefully that, you know, helps America become more of a soccer or football country, as they say. You know, I think, you know, this is still an underappreciated sport."

Brazil fans Glauco Lima and Ariana Lima shared a deep personal connection to the sport as they celebrated in the park. "We are passionate about football, soccer, so we love it. It's going to be very fun," Ariana said.

"Soccer for us is like a religion, so I think we're going to have a really big party," Glauco said. Ariana Lima added, "We're about to include our sixth star here, our sixth star."

Local families also used the downtown festival as a weekend getaway.

"It's just nice spending time with my son and seeing things that he loves," said attendee Christine Nelson. "It's fun. It's a great way to get out and be part of the community right now. It's nice to be out and about and not stuck in my office for a change."

What's next:

The international soccer celebration will continue through the weekend in downtown Atlanta. Three tournament matches will be broadcast live on the big screens at the park layout on Sunday. Festival gates are scheduled to open to the public starting at 11 a.m.

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed the total attendance numbers for the first three days of the downtown park event.

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