US Soccer's New Home in Atlanta: From trailer in '94 to 200-acre National Training Center

By Sean McGuffin - @SeanMCG704

The United States Soccer Federation has come a long way since hosting its first World Cup in 1994. At the time, the Federation was headquartered in a Colorado Springs trailer. While impressive from a logistics standpoint, with the growth of the game in the United States, US Soccer needed a new home. A place that would help train the next generation of American Soccer superstars and show the rest of the world that US Soccer can be a player on the global stage. After decades of temporary facilities scattered around the nation, the US Soccer Federation has found its new home in the Arthur M Blank National Training Center.

Just south of Atlanta in the suburb of Fayetteville is a brand-new 200-acre training facility used for all 17 of US Soccer’s teams. The facility is designed with the players in mind, with 17 outdoor playing surfaces, 20 locker rooms, 19 meeting rooms, and a 10,000-square-foot gym. The facility is state-of-the-art and is said to rival the quality of training facilities used by international powerhouses. The facility would open its doors on May 7, 2026, just in time for the US Men's National team to train ahead of the World Cup. 

The facility is a massive advancement for US Soccer, with the federation being forced to rent venues and use MLS practice facilities throughout the US over the years. Los Angeles and Kansas City would be the two most notable locations, with the teams' corporate offices being based in Chicago until the move to Atlanta. With the new National Training Facility, the Federation can now have all players, coaches, and staff in one centralized location permanently. Now in 2026, the nomads of international soccer have finally found their home.

The city of Atlanta has quickly embraced the beautiful game since Atlanta United’s inaugural season in 2017. The Club’s MLS Cup win in just their second season grew the game's popularity even further, making the city a clear spot for US Soccer's new home. The businesses and entrepreneurs of Atlanta were quintessential in the new training facility, with Chick-Fil-A donating the land on which the facility is built. The land donation even led to collaboration between USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino and Chick-fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy, and adopting a "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast” mentality from the Atlanta-based chairman. The Coca-Cola bottling company also invested heavily in the facility, being one of US Soccer’s main partners. 

The facility's namesake comes from Atlanta entrepreneur Arthur Blank. One of the founders of Home Depot, Blank has long been a fixture in the Atlanta Sports scene. Owning the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and founding the aforementioned Atlanta United, Blank is rivaled only by Ted Turner when it comes to influence in Atlanta sports. This time, Arthur was not only investing in Atlanta’s soccer future, but the Nation’s soccer future. A $50 million donation was made for the facilities' construction, leading to the new training facility being named after the businessman.  

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, much of the buzz surrounding the facility has been around the Men's National Team. Still, the facility will host practice for every United States National Team. With the plentiful space and multitude of pitches, the facility will see multiple teams practicing daily year-round. 

There are many questions surrounding this United States team heading into the World Cup. From the starting roster to Pochettino’s campaign in this year's tournament. But one thing is certain: the new national training facility will lay the foundation for US Soccer’s future, and down in Atlanta, the national teams' future is looking bright.