Atlanta, GA
FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta bracing for huge crowds, high heat
ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – General admission tickets to FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta are sold out as temperatures hover in the 90s, with organizers urging attendees to prepare for the heat ahead of a packed Wednesday schedule.
Three matches are scheduled for Wednesday, including a U.S. Men’s National Team match in the evening, as the World Cup continues in the knockout stage. The festival at Centennial Olympic Park has welcomed nearly 400,000 visitors since the start of the tournament.
What fans should know before they go
Organizers are advising fans to wear light, loose clothing and bring hats. Neck fans are permitted, as are plastic water bottles without labels. The park opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. Wednesday.
“We are aware of the heat index and we want to make sure people are comfortable and safe within the park,” said Chincie Mouton, Director of Sports Engagement & Community Impact for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
Shaded areas, a splash pad at the Fountain of Rings, and water filling stations are available throughout the park. Some of those water stations are supplied by Third Rock Sanitation Solutions, a family-owned company based in Alpharetta.
“We believe we are absolutely life support here, because water is essential for all of us,” said Mark Slade with Third Rock Sanitation Solutions, based in Alpharetta.
The stations provide chilled, filtered water across the park.
“Without the water, let’s face it, there would be people dehydrated, falling out, there would be several problems. So, being part of that, it’s a really good feeling, heartfelt feeling,” Slade said.
Paramedics on standby
Paramedics and safety crews will be on hand should anyone become overwhelmed by the heat, organizers said.
Jason Walker and his son traveled from England to see England play Congo in Atlanta. The match will be held indoors at Atlanta Stadium. Walker said the outdoor heat was already noticeable upon arrival.
“I’m obviously suffering from it at the moment, it’s extremely hot at the moment,” Walker said.
All five remaining days of the Fan Festival are sold out for free tickets. Some paid tickets remain available. Organizers will stop admitting fans once capacity is reached — a threshold that has been hit during U.S. games being played at the park. Early arrival is encouraged.
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When Lane Thomas was pulled mid-game out in Colorado on Aug. 1, his role in baseball experienced a shift. He went from being the everyday centerfielder in Kansas City to being a platoon corner outfielder on the Atlanta Braves.
Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., about three and a half hours from Atlanta, he grew up with plenty of familiarity with the organization. Excitement comes from that. While it’s preferred to be an everyday player, the timing of his arrival to Atlanta helps with the switch.
“It makes it a lot easier to accept that role when you’re going to one of the best teams he in baseball,” Thomas said to Atlanta Braves on SI. “So, man, I’m just looking forward to doing what I can two, three months and hopefully, he we get to go where we want to go.”
Since Thomas is tasked with mainly facing left-handed hitters, he’s been rotation between being in the starting lineup, and coming off the bench after a certain pitching change has been made.
He’s had just two hits in 13 plate appearances and four trips onto the basepaths. However, he’s made them count. Both of his hits have been for extra bases and have driven in runs. One of those extra-base knocks was a home run against the Mets on Wednesday.
The effort gives him an early .853 OPS despite batting just .182.
“It’s really nice to see a guy who understands his role from day one,” hitting coach Tim Hyers told Atlanta Braves on SI. “And coming in and understanding how he can help to contribute to our team.”
Thomas is part of a group of players who have been able to move around and take on different roles since joining the team. Mike Yastrzemski, who platoons with Thomas in the outfield, is tasked with right-handed hitters. Dom Smith, as a designated hitter, has the same role.
Meanwhile, the Braves have an option in Mauricio Dubón, who handles all pitchers, but he is tasked with different defensive positions. Over on the pitching side, Martín Pérez has been both a starter and a reliever this season.
Willingness to take on a small piece, or varying pieces, of the puzzle to help a team win says something about who they are as ballplayers. Thomas provides the latest example of bringing certain traits to a clubhouse that takes pride in its character.
“You got to be able to accept that role,” manager Walt Weiss said to the media on Wednesday. “And we’ve heard he’s always been a great teammate. You know everyone likes Lane Thomas. That’s his reputation. So, yeah, you don’t think twice about bringing a guy in here and messing up their chemistry or whatever. You’ve got to get the right people. It’s not always about chasing talent. “
Weiss added that while of course Thomas has the talent, it’s about brining in the right talent.
Having the right talent has translated to a 5-2 record in the seven games that the newest member of the outfield has seen action in.
The first couple of weeks of being an Atlanta Brave are in the books. Helping put the finishing touches on the regular season is still a primary task. Of course, October will be the ultimate goal.
He said he hopes the next two to three months are a push to achieve the ultimate goal. Should he keep doing his part, that timeline will be much closer to three than to two.
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Broncos coach Sean Payton has a history with Atlanta, dating back to the intense rivalry between the Saints (whom he coached from 2006 through 2021) and the Falcons. Payton’s current team was back in Georgia tonight for a preseason game.
And Payton couldn’t resist making a crack about the crowd in Atlanta, or the lack of one.
“There’s a lot of people dressed up as empty seats today,” Payton said at a halftime interview, via Awful Announcing.
The official game book for the Broncos-Falcons contest lists attendance at 68,183. That may have been the tickets sold, not the tickets used.
Whether the seats will be filled during the Falcons’ regular-season home games depends on whether the team performs better than it did on Friday night. Preseason or not, the Falcons trailed 24-0 at the half. The final score was 27-7.
The Falcons have reason for optimism. They finished in a three-way tie for the NFC South crown. If they can get something/anything out of the quarterback position, they could win the division in 2026.
They’ll need to win early in the season to get the fans on board. Three of the first four games are on the road, and three of the first four teams they play made it to the playoffs in 2025.
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