Rivero explodes on the offensive; Angels beat Dodgers

Connectivity and mobility

Atlanta arrives at the 2026 World Cup with two clear operational advantages: its airport and its experience in major events. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, seven miles from downtown, is the main entry point to the city. For internal mobility, the MARTA system (subway and bus) connects key areas. In addition, the Beltline project seeks to add a 35-kilometer tram around Downtown and Midtown, reusing old railroad tracks.

Sports infrastructure

The city has Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons (NFL), and State Farm Arena, home of the Hawks (NBA). It has already hosted two Super Bowls and the NCAA Final Four in 2007. A precedent that weighs: the 1996 Olympic Games, which demonstrated its ability to manage massive flows of visitors.

Urban and demographic profile

According to the 2020 census, Atlanta has 498,715 residents. It is a business city, with a strong corporate hub in Midtown and more than 30 institutions of higher education, including the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Atlanta University Center, the largest consortium of historically black colleges in the country.

These elements – air connectivity, transportation, world-class venues and a solid urban base – outline the framework with which Atlanta integrates into the 2026 World Cup scenario.

Messi’s historic double in the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi continues to make history. In the match against Austria, corresponding to the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine star scored two goals that allowed him to reach 18 goals in six World Cups, surpassing the German Miroslav Klose (16) as the tournament’s all-time top scorer.

Argentina won 2-0 and secured their place in the round of 32. The team leads Group J with perfect pace.

However, the afternoon did not start out easy. At minute 8, Messi missed a penalty against Lautaro Martínez. The ball went to the side. But thirty minutes later, he appeared in the area to receive a pass from Facundo Medina and define with precision, in a play similar to the one he made against Real Madrid in 2017.

Already in added time, he took the ball inside the area, shot twice and on the second attempt he achieved the double. With these five goals so far in the competition, he is also emerging as a candidate for the Golden Boot.

The figures of the moment

With his double, Messi has 18 goals in World Cups. In Qatar 2022 he scored seven; Now he has five and aspires to surpass that personal best. On June 24 he will turn 39, but he assured not to think about age.

“A lot of happiness for the victory mainly, it was very hard. We had to put a lot of intensity. I am happy for the result and the classification,” declared the MVP of the match.

Meanwhile, FIFA announced that it will distribute 871 million dollars among the 48 participating teams, 15% more than in Qatar 2022. Each team receives a minimum of 12.5 million dollars: 2.5 for preparation and 10 for qualifying.

Milestone for Mexican arbitration

The wait is over for Katia Itzel García. After the first two days of the 2026 North America World Cup, she will finally debut as a central referee. It will be in the match between Tunisia and the Netherlands, which will be played the day after tomorrow in Kansas City.

This is a historical fact. García will become the first Mexican referee to officiate a men’s World Cup match. In addition, she will be the third woman in the entire history of the World Cups to referee a match, after the French Stephanie Frappart (Qatar 2022) and the American Tori Penso, who already has two appointments in this edition.

A key duel in Group F

The match between Tunisians and the Dutch will be decisive in defining first place in Group F. The African team is already eliminated, but the European team needs to win to stay at the top of the table. García will thus have an attractive and highly demanding match.

The tricolor whistler will be accompanied by her compatriot Sandra Ramírez as assistant number one, and the Spanish José Enrique Naranjo as number two. The fourth referee will be the Paraguayan Juan Gabriel Benítez, while the reserve assistant is the also Guaraní Milcíades Saldívar.

The advancement of women’s refereeing

Katia Itzel will be the second central judge participating in North America 2026. Penso already directed the game between the Czech Republic and South Africa, and yesterday she was appointed for the duel between Ecuador and Germany, also the day after tomorrow.

García had already worked as the fourth referee in three matches of this World Cup. Her appointment as principal confirms the growing presence of women in high-level refereeing.