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Councilwoman: East Point should court soccer clubs to capture 2026 World Cup economic opportunities
Summary
Councilwoman Butler briefed the council on the FIFA World Cup, noted Atlanta’s selection as a host city and urged early outreach to football clubs and the convention bureau to draw teams and viewing events to East Point ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Councilwoman Butler presented background on the FIFA World Cup and urged the council to direct city management and the East Point Convention and Visitors Bureau to begin courting soccer clubs and other partners to capture economic opportunities from Atlanta’s hosting of 2026 World Cup matches.
Butler described the World Cup’s format, the expanded 48‑team field in 2026 and the estimated regional economic impact cited by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce — a figure she summarized as roughly $503.2 million for the Metro Atlanta region. Butler said she joined a fact‑finding trip in Doha with local municipal representatives and Fulton County leadership and that a primary lesson was the importance of proactive relationship building with football clubs, sponsors and support organizations.
Her pitch to council was to use East Point as a hub for team fan activities and viewing parties and to have the City’s convention bureau begin courting teams and clubs now. Council members asked whether the Convention & Visitors Bureau and economic‑development staff were already engaged; the city manager said the CVB had held a first meeting and that economic‑development staff would be involved as the effort progressed.
Butler provided a tentative schedule of match dates that would run from mid‑June into July 2026 and closed by offering to continue work with staff and the CVB on pursuing opportunities for the city.
