A football festival featuring Chelsea F.C. players and supported by the British Consul General of Atlanta offered a preview of how a planned “League of Stations” could drive global engagement across local neighborhoods when the city hosts eight matches of the World Cup in 2026.

Soccer in the Streetswhich teaches life skills to local kids using the beautiful game, organized a kick-around, 5×5 tournament and meet-and-greet with six first-team players from Chelsea last Thursday at Lindbergh Centerone of six MARTA train stations where the nonprofit has installed soccer pitches around the city.

StationSoccerThe world’s first transit-based soccer league has won international acclaim for improving access to the sport among low-income Atlantans, but organizers also see the pitches as promising gathering places for diaspora communities when the world’s largest sporting event comes to town.

“I think the most important thing in terms of the road to the World Cup is that we connect our community here in Atlanta,” said Chelsea Wood, director of operations at Soccer in the Streets. “It is one of the most diverse cities, and to be able to bring an entire ‘world in a city’ together through the game of soccer is really powerful.”

Six pitches have been installed thus far at Five Points, West End, East Lake, Kensington Lindbergh and East Point. Plans are afoot to tie the stations to national teams that end up playing Atlanta, enlisting them to host watch parties and other activations like the one Chelsea headlined.

“Our goal is to have 10 pitches by 2026, where all of those communities can come and connect with each other and kind of rotate on the trains to be able to experience the World Cup in a different setting,” Ms. Wood told Global Atlanta.

Chelsea FC was in town for the second straight year, besting Mexico City’s Club America 3-0 Wednesday night before engaging with kids at a festival that boasted British bites and swag.

Last summer, Chelsea was one of four English Premier League teams visiting Atlanta on the league’s first official preseason showcase in the US Its 2023 match against Newcastle Unitedthe second of a double-header, sold out Mercedes Benz Stadium.

That success was yet another demonstration of soccer’s ascent in the Southeast US, and this week brought further evidence as Chelsea played again in North Carolina and rivals Liverpool and Manchester United face off in South Carolina.

The Atlanta event, meanwhile, attracted sponsorship from EA Sports and participation from Chelsea legend Gary Cahill.

Simone Brownchief of staff at the consulate, said Chelsea’s return to Atlanta showed yet again how soccer has taken off in the city, kick-started by Atlanta United‘s emergence in 2017 but now enthusiastically embraced by the broader community.

“We saw the growing influence of sports in the region with events like the Premier League and the World Cup coming in 2026. We wanted to capitalize on this momentum and use it as an opportunity to expand soccer’s impact in the Southeast,” said Ms. Brown explains the inspiration behind the event.

The British Consulate reached out to the GREAT Campaign, a United Kingdom-based initiative that promotes British culture worldwide, to secure funding for the event.

Catch up on highlights of last week’s StationSoccer Festival with @ChelseaFC, @EASPORTSFC, @MARTAtransit & our fantastic friends @soccerstreets who continue to do so much to grow the game in #Atlanta & offer access & opportunity to all. @GREATBritain #SeeThingsDifferently pic.twitter.com/TzZwBf2zMD

— British Consulate-General Atlanta (@UKinAtlanta) August 7, 2024

The goal was to elevate young athletes, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, by providing them access to high-quality sports programming.

“We worked with Soccer in the Streets and Chelsea FC, knowing they were scheduled to play here, to create a program that brought experienced players to engage with these young athletes,” Ms. Brown added.

Ms. Wood emphasized the importance of the international business community in Atlanta supporting youth sports.

“Being an advocate for kids in sport is crucial. “Partnerships and sponsorships are vital to growing the love for the game and fostering community engagement,” she said.

Ms. Wood highlighted the importance of such events for the Atlanta soccer community.

“The growth of the game has promoted international camaraderie and partnerships. “Our kids had the chance to access high-quality education from Chelsea FC, which has been amazing,” she added.

While Atlanta will be feverishly preparing its infrastructure for the World Cup, Chelsea right-back Bad Gustowho hails from Francesaid in an interview that the city also must work on its intangibles.

“In the Premier League, every stadium is full of and the atmosphere is incredible,” he said. “I think here, for me, it’s different.”

He added, however, that Chelsea FC has seen a groundswell of support in the US and that the club welcomed the opportunity to refine its game by playing quality competition before American crowds, all before its season officially begins.

—With reporting by Michal Jensby and Leigh Villegas

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