Presidents of several African FIFA Member Associations toured Atlanta Stadium and met Mayor Andre Dickens on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final between England and Argentina, drawing inspiration for their own upcoming tournaments.

Welcoming the delegation, Mayor Dickens highlighted the deep bond between Atlanta and the African continent. "We have a great kind of a cultural and people-to-people relationship," he said. "We just love to host you and hope that you will be back for football, for business, for tourism, for whatever you want to come back for."

Stadium tour impresses delegation

Issaka Adamou, President of the Nigerien Football Federation and a trained architect and stadium inspector, was struck by the arena's versatility. "I was very excited as soon as I saw all of the architectural aspects, the retractable roof," he said.

Adamou noted that the stadium's artificial turf had been replaced with natural grass for the tournament and would be restored afterwards. "This idea of being able to transform the stadium as needed impressed me; it's truly amazing," he said. "This stadium could even hold the final."

Gelson Fernandes, FIFA's Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer and Director of Member Associations for Africa, stressed the importance of African leaders experiencing the tournament's infrastructure first-hand. "They discover our city, they discover our culture, they discover our stadium infrastructure, all the work that is put in behind the scenes by FIFA and the authorities to deliver a fantastic FIFA World Cup," he said.

Lessons for the Africa Cup of Nations

Several of the visiting association presidents have major tournaments approaching. Wallace Karia, President of the Tanzania Football Federation and a CAF Executive Committee member, said the visit offered vital lessons ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, which Tanzania will co-host with Kenya and Uganda in 2026 under the slogan 'Pamoja'—meaning "together."

"I learned many things which will help us to improve our tournament, to be one of the best," Karia said, also congratulating Canada, Mexico, and the United States on their organisation of this summer's FIFA World Cup 2026. He added that the experience would feed into preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

'The best in the history of FIFA'

Célestin Yanindji, President of the Central African Republic Football Federation, was unequivocal in his praise for the tournament. "I can honestly say that this FIFA World Cup is the best. It's the best in the history of FIFA," he said, citing the magnificent stadiums, tight organisation, and electric atmosphere.

"We know today that the slogan 'Football Unites the World' is a reality," Yanindji added.

Somali Football Federation President Ali Abdi Mohamed echoed that sentiment, describing his presence in Atlanta as a privilege. "Watching the England v. Argentina match at Atlanta Stadium is a truly special experience for me. I'm very grateful to the mayor of the city and to the people of the United States," he said.