MARIETTA, Ga. - Atlanta United is opening its doors to the local community this week, partnering with the Uzbekistan National Team to host an interactive youth training session at its newly expanded facility right before the World Cup.
What we know:
Atlanta United will host a special community training session for local youth groups in Marietta in collaboration with the Uzbekistan National Team.
The event will take place on Wednesday, June 10 at the Atlanta United Training Center, located at 861 Franklin Gateway. The facility has been selected as the sole home base in Georgia for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
To prepare for this international milestone, the Major League Soccer team spent $25 million to expand the facility ahead of the tournament's kickoff.
The community event begins with arrivals at 4 p.m., followed by welcome remarks at 5 p.m.
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Attendees will participate in a youth skills challenge, as well as a photo and autograph session. At 6 p.m., visitors will get an exclusive look at the Uzbekistan team's very first training session at the facility.
The "White Wolves" are making their World Cup debut under the leadership of manager Fabio Cannavaro, a former FIFA World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or recipient.
Uzbekistan will play its first Group Stage match on June 17, followed by a highly anticipated match against DR Congo in Atlanta on June 27.
What we don't know:
While team officials confirmed that the elite Marietta facility will host other world-class national teams during later knockout and semifinal training rounds, the specific countries and calendar schedules for those later sessions have not yet been announced.
What they're saying:
The event is designed to connect international soccer icons directly with local youth soccer players. Key figures scheduled to speak and participate include Dimitrios Efstathiou, who serves as Atlanta United's senior vice president of strategy, alongside select members from Uzbekistan's official delegation. Representatives from both organizations noted that the partnership highlights the global soccer footprint expanding directly into Cobb County.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a release sent by Atlanta United's communications department and prior FOX 5 reporting.