The FIFA World Cup is set to kick off in Atlanta in 10 days. Nine teams will play group-stage matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the U.S. men's national team is not one of them. The USMNT's group stage takes place in Los Angeles and Seattle, but that doesn't mean Atlanta has no chance of seeing the national team in person.
There are a couple of avenues through which the U.S. could return to its new home in soccer in the knockout round, especially with the newly expanded 48-team tournament. However, if the Americans finish first in the group ahead of Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, there would be no route for the Group D winner to play at Atlanta Stadium.
The USMNT needs to finish second in the group to reach the Round of 16 match in Dallas. If they advance past the first knockout round, they would play the winners of Match 86 in Atlanta on July 7. Finishing second in Group D would also take them through quarterfinals in Kansas City, Missouri, then to Atlanta on July 15 — meaning the USMNT could potentially play twice in Atlanta.
A less likely path involves finishing third in the group. Not every third-place team advances; only eight of twelve groups' third-place finishers continue, determined by points, goal difference, goals scored, team conduct score, and FIFA world ranking. A Group D third-place team could reach Atlanta through a route via Kansas City and Seattle before a semifinal appearance.
Finishing third and advancing to the semifinals is considered an uphill battle, especially since the USMNT has never achieved this depth in a World Cup. The United States plays its opening match against Paraguay on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution