When Kevin Egan talks about the World Cup coming to Atlanta, it isn’t with the detached enthusiasm of a broadcaster covering a major event. It’s with the pride of someone who lives here, raising a family here and believes the city is ready for its biggest global moment yet.
“I’m just so full of pride and joy that the world’s game is coming here to Atlanta,” Egan says. “Essentially, we have eight Super Bowls on the way. I can’t wait to play a small role in helping people understand the magnitude of what’s en route.”
That role, as a World Cup Ambassador for the Atlanta Host Committee, has made Egan, a resident of Roswell, a connector between the tournament and the city itself. His job, as he describes it, is to be a “mouthpiece for the tournament,” helping civic leaders, businesses and residents understand not just the matches, but the scale, culture and opportunity that arrive with the FIFA World Cup 2026. Atlanta will host eight matches, second most among U.S. cities, and that includes a semifinal that could feature the United States playing for a place in the final.
Atlanta has hosted global moments before. The 1996 Olympics put the city on the world stage, and Egan sees the World Cup as the next leap forward. With more than half a million unique visitors expected, a reimagined downtown, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which he calls “arguably the best stadium in the world,” as the centerpiece, Egan believes Atlanta is uniquely prepared. “There’s a collaborative spirit and a real zest for what’s coming,” he says. “You can feel it.”
Soccer’s roots in the city have deepened over the past decade, particularly with the arrival of Atlanta United FC, whose 2017 debut in Major League Soccer shattered league attendance records and captured the city’s imagination. Egan, who is one of the lead announcers for MLS on Apple TV, believes the World Cup can help reignite that energy, especially with the return of coaching legend Tata Martino to the sidelines. Momentum on the field, he says, can fuel momentum across the city.
Still, Egan, a native of Dublin, Ireland, is quick to emphasize that the World Cup isn’t only for lifelong soccer fans. “So many people tell me, ‘I don’t really know anything about soccer,’” he says. “And that’s okay. Now is the perfect time to dive in.”
His advice is simple: sample the experience. Watch Atlanta United matches on Apple TV, wander downtown on matchdays, visit the fan zones and soak in the atmosphere. “You don’t need a ticket to feel the World Cup,” he says. “The cultures, the music, the dancing—that’s the magic.”
That magic is already playing out in Egan’s own home. His two young children, ages seven and four, are connecting to the tournament not through tactics or standings, but through sound. “They come home from school and say, ‘Alexa, play World Cup music,’” he laughs. Shakira, Waka Waka, and Waving Flag fill the house—an early reminder that the World Cup is as much a cultural celebration as a sporting one.
And that, Egan believes, is what Atlanta residents will remember most. “They’ll feel it,” he says. “They’ll understand it. And they’ll never forget the moment the World Cup was in their city.”