Images: South of Atlanta, U.S. Soccer's new HQ begins construction

At a site just north of Town at Trilith and Trilith Studios, construction has officially kicked off on a 200-acre project expected to more firmly establish Atlanta as a powerhouse among national and international soccer communities.

The U.S. Soccer Federation broke ground during a Monday ceremony on its first National Training Center and Headquarters, christening the facility the “Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center” in honor of the Atlanta United and Falcons owner who contributed $50 million to the project last year. U.S. Soccer’s current home is in Chicago.

Project leaders say the Gensler-designed complex will create more than 400 new jobs and bring $200 million in investment to Fayette County, providing a centralized hub for U.S. Soccer’s players, coaches, and referees for training and performance.

Specifically the training center’s plans call for more than a dozen soccer fields and roughly 100,000 square feet of indoor courts for all 27 of U.S. Soccer’s National Teams, including Senior Women’s and Men’s, Youth, and Extended National Teams.

Elsewhere will be 200,000 square feet of facilities focused on boosting performance, plus meeting rooms, headquarters space, and locker rooms for all U.S. Soccer employees.

U.S. Soccer and Atlanta-based Coca-Cola entered a long-term agreement in July to help grow the country's soccer ecosystem at every level, and Atlanta emerged as the sole finalist for the soccer training headquarters in September.

The region’s diversity and year-round climate conducive to soccer programming were cited as perks, as was Fayette County’s proximity to the world’s busiest airport and downtown Atlanta. U.S. Soccer officials also pointed to nearby Town at Trilith—the master-planned, mixed-use community—as another bonus of the location. Ditto for TV/film hub Trilith Studios, one of the country's largest.

Part of the contribution from Blank and his Family Foundation will be specifically used to build facilities for the federation’s nine Extended National Teams, with an emphasis on supporting the Cerebral Palsy, Deaf, and Power (or wheelchair) Soccer National Teams.

The headquarters and training facilities are scheduled to open sometime in 2026, prior to Atlanta's full month of FIFA World Cup matches. 

In the gallery above, find a preview of what’s in the pipeline south of the city.

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