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‘Atlanta Stadium’ ready with FIFA-standard pitch ahead of World Cup

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‘Atlanta Stadium’ ready with FIFA-standard pitch ahead of World Cup


Atlanta United

With eight matches upcoming, Mercedes-Benz Stadium sod will get strict maintenance.

The newly installed playing surface for the FIFA World Cup is watered at the stadium in Atlanta on May 21, 2026. The pitch is Kentucky bluegrass mixed with perennial ryegrass with artificial fibers stitched in. It came from a turf farm in Colorado. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

By Jaide Timm-Garcia – For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Atlanta Stadium — as Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be known during the World Cup — has undergone its final makeover to become compliant with FIFA stadium standards after FIFA-approved grass was installed this week.

The rollout of the natural playing surface began last Friday and took four days to complete, according to Atlanta Stadium pitch venue manager Stuart Wilson.

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Atlanta, GA

Instant Takeaways From Atlanta’s Summer League Victory Against Boston

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Instant Takeaways From Atlanta’s Summer League Victory Against Boston


The Atlanta Hawks are now 3-0 in Las Vegas.

Despite being down some of their most talented players, such as Kingston Flemings,Asa Newell, and Zuby Ejiofor, the Hawks notched another win in Summer League, this time taking down the Boston Celtics. Overall, it was the Hawks 5th straight win in Summer League.

What are the biggest takeaways from today’s game?

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1. Kobe Johnson Continues to Impress

Kobe Johnson has been impressive all Summer long and is making his case to be the last two-way contract for the Hawks. Atlanta already has Keshon Gilbert and RayJ Dennis in two of the two-way spots for next season and are looking for a third player who they can continue to develop.

With the Hawks being very shorthanded today against the Celtics, Johnson stepped up and played very well. In 13 first half minutes, Johnson scored 19 points on 7-10 shooting and 3-4 from three-point range, which is the most encouraging part of his performance. He continued that into the second half and was arguably the best player on the floor today for the Hawks.

Johnson finished today’s game with 30 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

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Johnson has high-level defensive skills, but he has shown offensive growth over the course of the past week and he is making a real case to be a part of the roster as a two-way player.

2. Henri Veesaar takes advantage of his opportunity

With so many bigs out today, it was going to be the Henri Veesaar show for Atlanta.

He did not disappoint. Veesaar was able to score 20 points on 7-12 shooting (4-6 from three), as well as pulling in four rebounds, and three assists.

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As a scorer, Veesaar was at his best today, stretching the floor and scoring the ball off the pick and roll. He showed why the Hawks moved up to take him in the second round of the draft and if he can continue this development into the season, perhaps he can be closer to playing than initially thought.

3. Hawks win short-handed

Atlanta has one of the most talented rosters in Vegas this summer and despite missing their two first round picks from this year’s draft (Flemings and Ejiofor) and their first round pick from last year’s draft (Newell), Atlanta did not have much of a problem today with Boston.

The Celtics were missing a couple of important players today as well, but the Hawks had no trouble in this game, nearly leading by 30 points in the second half. The three-point shooting was strong, the defense forced turnovers, and they kept the Celtics cool from three.

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It was an impressive all-around victory for the Hawks and one of their better victories from start to finish.

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Atlanta, GA

Apple sues OpenAI, Instagram backlash

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Apple sues OpenAI, Instagram backlash


Apple is accusing ChatGPT’s maker of a “coordinated pattern of theft” to steal trade secrets for its new AI hardware. And, Meta hits the pause button on its newest AI tool “Muse Image” after a tremendous amount of backlash. 



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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta officials ‘throw out homeless tents and medicine’ near World Cup spot

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Atlanta officials ‘throw out homeless tents and medicine’ near World Cup spot


Officials in Atlanta, a World Cup host city, threw away tents, medication, identification, and other items belonging to homeless people without any warning, according to a report.

The items were collected from a public park not far from where many soccer fans have been gathering to watch the soccer tournament, The Guardian reports.

Some of the items taken by city workers reportedly include blood pressure pills, an insulin kit, and hormones.

In response to the accusations, the city’s senior advisor on homelessness, Chatiqua Ellison, told the paper that the area that the affected area of Freedom Park was “not an encampment” and that the item removals were part of “routine park maintenance.”

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She reportedly said that because the site was not an encampment and the action was not considered a “sweep,” the city was not obligated to give a warning before officials moved in to seize the items.

A tent belonging to a homeless individual in Atlanta, Georgia. City officials reportedly recently seized and disposed of items, including medicine and identification documents, belonging to homeless individuals congregating in Freedom Park without giving them a warning
A tent belonging to a homeless individual in Atlanta, Georgia. City officials reportedly recently seized and disposed of items, including medicine and identification documents, belonging to homeless individuals congregating in Freedom Park without giving them a warning (AFP/Getty)

One person who lost belongings, named Kai, told The Guardian that she lost a bag filled with her possessions, including a flash light.

“Our whole lives was thrown away,” she said.

Kai said the site was effectively an encampment as it was used for that purpose, regardless of the city’s official definition.

Kelsea Bond, an Atlanta city council member whose district includes the park, told the newspaper that she was disappointed with the city’s handling of the situation.

“It’s disappointing that the city is more concerned about the strict, and perhaps arbitrary, definition of ‘encampment’ here rather than the impact these kinds of clearings have on the houseless community,” she said, adding that the city should be more focused on “the impact of a policy, not the intention on paper.”

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Bond shared an email with the outlet from Major Peter Ries of the Atlanta Police Department in which he stated that the area in question was not an encampment, and the seized “property was considered abandoned, [and] park maintenance disposed of … unclaimed items.”

The Independent has requested comment from the city of Atlanta.

People from around the world have descended on Atlanta this summer to watch the eight planned soccer matches at Mercedez Benz stadium. But homeless advocates have argued that the city’s efforts to present a good face to visitors has been at the expense of some of the community’s most vulnerable members.

Soccer fans from around the world have descended on Atlanta this summer to watch the eight planned soccer matches at Mercedez Benz stadium
Soccer fans from around the world have descended on Atlanta this summer to watch the eight planned soccer matches at Mercedez Benz stadium (Getty Images)

In the months leading up to the World Cup, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens made clear in a statement that he did not want the city’s homeless population anywhere near places where they might run into visitors.

“We want to make sure those unsheltered individuals don’t come anywhere downtown, and throughout the city of Atlanta, not just during the World Cup, but now,” he said.

Advocates told The Guardian that at least two of Atlanta’s downtown parks — often used by the homeless as gathering places — were fenced off in the weeks prior to the World Cup, forcing them to disperse into other parts of the city.

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They said that disruption breaks up homeless individuals’ routines, access to healthcare services, and disrupts their social connections.

Allen Hall, who was homeless for decades and who now is active in street outreach for the American Friends Service Committee, told the paper that the city’s actions have forced homeless individuals to sleep on the streets and sidewalks because they have limited options outside of shelters.



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