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Brad Guzan Champions Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Global Soccer Events
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to Atlanta United, is set to shine on the global stage as a host venue for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and FIFA World Cup 2026. Brad Guzan, Atlanta United’s seasoned goalkeeper, reflects on the stadium’s unmatched atmosphere and Atlanta’s growing passion for soccer.
Atlanta’s Soccer Revolution
In just a few years, Atlanta has transformed into a soccer hotspot in the United States. Awarded an MLS franchise in 2014, Atlanta United began play in 2017 at the state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium, affectionately dubbed “The Benz” by locals. The venue quickly gained a reputation for its vibrant crowd and high-energy matches, often rivaling the fervor of traditional soccer powerhouses.
“The growth of soccer in Atlanta has been incredible,” said Guzan, a 40-year-old veteran and former USA World Cup goalkeeper. “From day one, Atlanta United fans have made Mercedes-Benz Stadium one of the best atmospheres in MLS.”
What is Atlanta’s soccer culture like?
Atlanta is city that is on the rise and has been for quite some time in terms of people relocating and moving here. Maybe those people had a team overseas they supported or where they previously lived, but now having Atlanta United here in their backyard at The Benz, they’re able to support our team.
The city is a melting pot. You’ve got fans from all over the world and you’ve got different nationalities that are represented at our games. With the international games that come through the stadium, you have fans that are coming from the south-east that are not only coming to support their team, but they know they’re going to get an unbelievable atmosphere and an experience attending the game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just because of how wonderful the stadium is.
How does it feel when The Benz is rocking?
It’s great. It’s one of the loudest places that I’ve been a part of in terms of atmosphere, especially with the ability to open and close the roof. When you have the roof closed, it keeps the noise contained and makes it that much more intense. And when the roof is open, it adds to the experience because you are indoors, but you automatically feel as if you’re in an outdoor stadium because you’ve got the skyline coming through the big window. You look up and see the night sky. It’s pretty special.
What does it say about Atlanta United that they’ve gone to this concerted effort to bring in these international games?
Starting with [owner] Arthur Blank at the top, I think it says how ambitious we are in terms of bringing soccer to the city of Atlanta. We’ve seen the support for our team here and we’ve seen what the sport means to so many. When you have that support, you then want to continue to feed that desire from the fans that want the bigger games, the big national teams to come through and play here. Arthur is willing to make that happen. And with the help of the city officials and different individuals around the city to make these games come to life, it’s truly remarkable.
What game do you remember The Benz as being at its loudest?
I think you have to look at MLS Cup [in 2018]. You look at what that trophy meant, not only to the club, not only to the team, but to the fans, to the supporters, and to the city of Atlanta. It had been a while since an Atlanta team had won a major trophy. To be able to bring that to the city was phenomenal.
Has there been a particular moment away from the field where you’ve been struck by how soccer has grown in Atlanta?
I think it’s just the general day-to-day life where I’ll be out in the park with the kids or going to their sporting events. Just the amount of attention that we get around the city as an Atlanta United player in terms of being recognized, whether it’s in restaurants, whether it’s in the park, wherever it is, and people constantly saying, “Oh, we’re huge fans of the team. We love the team. We love what you guys are doing. We love what you’re about.” To hear comments like that, it really makes you just pause and appreciate how much the club and the sport of soccer has grown here in the city.
Switching gears to your USA national team career, what are your memories from South Africa 2010?
I remember in the lead-up to the tournament there was a lot of talk if South Africa would be able be able to host a successful World Cup, and I would say it was absolutely a success in terms of our experience and what we were able to live out throughout that tournament. That was a phenomenal experience in itself.
You remember how close-knit our group was in terms of our team and the staff and just how together we were. And then I think probably everyone has seen it or heard about the Landon Donovan goal that put us through and that excitement and buzz. Those are memories that you carry on with you for the rest of your life and ones I certainly keep close to my heart.
It brings a smile to my face just because you think about those moments and of course you always think what could have been. But yeah, just the memories of being in those games traveling around Brazil, to and from different cities, obviously that was a lot different in terms of the distance traveled, having to get on a plane and go to one city and back to your kind of home base. It’s an experience from start to finish that you’re very grateful for.
[Former USA player] Tab Ramos recently said that he thought that 2014 team was the best World Cup the USA has had. Where would you rank that team?
We were a very good team, but when you start to compare teams with different generations, I think it becomes really difficult. For me, the closeness of the 2010 team was probably a bit more in terms of the bond and the spirit in the group. That being said, it’s always difficult because you’ve got players at different stages of their careers.
As a player who wore the USA shirt many times, what does it mean to you that the World Cup is coming back here in 2026?
It’s huge. You look at what ‘94 did for the sport, in terms of the MLS starting up and us saying that we’re going to push forward with this league and change the landscape of the sport in this country. I think ‘26 is going to continue to do that in such a positive way.
And then obviously as a father, I’m excited because first and foremost, I’m a fan of the game, so being able to have that experience with my kids, hopefully be able to take them to a few games and have them experience that is going to be phenomenal.
