Can’t help but feel ambivalent about the World Cup in Atlanta

I want to hear from friends about how exciting it was to be a part of this global spectacle and to have made memorable connections with Spaniards, Czechs and Moroccans on MARTA or in the stands. It would tickle me for tens of thousands of international guests to return home to share stories of Atlanta’s welcoming spirit and the culinary masterpiece that is the Waffle House All-Star Special.

We will surely enjoy at least some of that. The fan festival at Centennial Olympic Park, which can be attended free of charge (with preregistration), will present wide-ranging musical acts that will showcase our city and state’s musical breadth.

That part should be spectacular.

Fans will gather for watch parties in public spaces, bars and restaurants.

The Brewhouse Cafe in Little Five Points, Atlanta’s preeminent soccer bar, is “going to be slammed,” bar manager Ben St. Clair said Wednesday.

On the other hand, FIFA has done an excellent job of extinguishing the joy with its unconscionable ticket pricing and ploys to drive demand by creating a false sense of scarcity. It has served to limit international visitors and also price out local fans who want to take part in an event that might not return here for decades.

Will Hinton is a friend of mine and one of the biggest soccer nuts I know. A lifelong metro Atlantan, he played the game as a youth, continues to play in an adult league, knows all about players and leagues around the world, was an original season ticket holder for Atlanta United and has raised money for Soccer in the Streets, the nonprofit that provides access to the game to underserved Atlanta communities.

Few people could better appreciate and celebrate this magical sport and Atlanta’s transformation into an American soccer hub by experiencing the World Cup firsthand.

And if you had asked him 10-plus years ago about attending World Cup games in his hometown, he said he would have done whatever it took to go to as many games as possible. But now, it’s unlikely he’ll attend a single game.

Because of FIFA’s ridiculous ticket prices and its corrupt leadership, he said he would only go if he were given a ticket because he couldn’t stomach the idea of giving FIFA his money.

“I find the whole thing very depressing,” he wrote to me.

I tend to think that there are thousands like him.

Beyond that, the high ticket prices, the rising costs of travel and U.S. visa policies have limited international travel to Atlanta and other World Cup cities.

City boosters have planned to sell Atlanta to visitors from around the world an event that could impact its economy and perception for years.

Atlanta hoteliers, though, might be wondering where the projected 500,000 visitors are staying. In a survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association in May, 50% of Atlanta respondents said that hotel bookings were tracking below initial forecasts. (Though that does mean that the other 50% were satisfied.)

It was a better percentage than nearly all of the other 11 U.S. World Cup markets, but not what you’d expect after FIFA president Gianni Infantino touted each game to be its own Super Bowl.

On Wednesday, sports business journalist Joe Pompliano reported that more than 180,000 tickets were available on FIFA’s resale site for the tournament’s 104 games.

I say this as someone who loves Atlanta and grew up playing soccer (and could also be described as skeptical). I want to be excited but can’t help but feel ambivalent. I’d be happy to be proven wrong.

This might turn out beyond expectation. No less an authority than Falcons and Atlanta United and World Cup partner Arthur Blank told the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Henry Queen in May that “the eight games here will be sold out completely.”

Starting Monday, eight games in 31 days, capped by a semifinal on July 15.

Will it be great for Atlanta?

It probably depends on whom you ask.

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