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Argentina-England cap Atlanta World Cup matches
The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and England will take place in Atlanta
ATLANTA - Rainy weather could not dampen the spirits of thousands of soccer fans who packed downtown Atlanta for the FIFA Fan Fest. The sold-out crowd watched Spain defeat France 2-0, securing a spot in its first World Cup final since 2010.
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Atlanta soccer celebration
What we know:
Thousands of fans dodged raindrops in Centennial Olympic Park to watch the World Cup semifinal action on big screens. Music star Ludacris performed on stage before the heavy afternoon showers moved through the area.
The weather quickly cooled down after the storm, bringing relief to the packed crowd. "Everyone's having to put like trashbags on themselves, but she came prepared," vendor Malia Orlando said.
Global fans arrive
What they're saying:
The tournament is drawing people to Georgia from across the globe. "We're from Singapore," visitor Ken Chang said. "We flew halfway around the world just to be here."
Chang and Thomas Lee said they are attending both the semifinal and the final, spending $30,000 for tickets. "Well, it's worth every single one of everything," Chang said.
Georgia State University student J-P Okias, originally from France, cheered against his home country because he is a lifelong Lionel Messi fan. Okias already bought tickets to New York to watch the final match inside the stadium. "Today was a lovely day to be an Argentina fan," Okias said.
Tournament final match
What's next:
The energy is shifting toward Atlanta Stadium as England prepares to play Argentina at 3 p.m. Wednesday. This semifinal matchups marks the final 2026 FIFA World Cup match to take place in Atlanta.
England fan Kevin Keefe expressed absolute certainty about the upcoming match. "Extremely confident," Keefe said. "It's going to be an easy game for England."
Fan Fest gates closed Tuesday night but will reopen Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. for the final local crowd.
The match will air on FOX 5 Atlanta and on FOX One.
Remaining tournament questions
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed how many total international visitors traveled to local events this week. It remains unclear who will win Wednesday to face Spain in the championship final.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Rob DiRienzo, who reported live from the FIFA Fan Fest in Centennial Olympic Park, as well as on-scene interviews with event vendors and international soccer fans.