Atlanta, GA
Atlanta businesses see mixed results with first Club World Cup match
ATLANTA – The FIFA Club World Cup just kicked off in Atlanta, but businesses aren’t all seeing the boom they wanted.
The first game of the series took place Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It wasn’t sold out by any means. Only about 22,000 of the 71,000 available tickets were sold. Still, some businesses said their business was up.
What they’re saying:
Stats Brewpub downtown said its business was up over 50%.
“It’s awesome. We love days like this,” said John South, general manager. “It’s definitely been a good day.”
But Hudson Grille in downtown said crowds were bigger last year during the Copa América.
“It’s—I’d say maybe half the flow,” said Lezonn Miller, Hudson Grille’s general manager. “I expect it to get busier as the later rounds go on.”
What’s next:
There are 5 more matches this summer at the Benz. The next one is Thursday and features one of soccer’s most beloved athletes, Lionel Messi, and Inter Miami.
The cheapest seats available for that game are $90.
Other games will take place on June 22, 29, and July 1 and 5. Click here for full schedule.
Dig deeper:
The tournament, which features 32 elite clubs from around the world, marks a major milestone in the city’s growing reputation as a global sports destination.
Atlanta is one of 11 U.S. cities selected to host matches for the prestigious international tournament. In preparation, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has undergone a significant transformation—most notably the replacement of its artificial turf with a real grass pitch, a complex process that required extensive coordination and planning.
Officials say this serves as a valuable test run ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will also include matches in Atlanta.
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Sen. Raphael Warnock and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens celebrated the 21st Century Road to Housing Act on Monday. The new law aims to make housing construction easier and to prevent corporations from buying large amounts of single-family homes.
Posted
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?
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.
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.
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.
It was an impressive all-around victory for the Hawks and one of their better victories from start to finish.
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