ATLANTA — As Atlanta puts a bow on its 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, the city’s influence and culture extends beyond the pitch.
Just ask Roger Bennett, the founder of the Men in Blazers soccer network, what kind of mark the city has left on him.
“We’ve been here so often, I should probably be paying taxes at this point,” Bennett joked.
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Bennett has been around soccer his whole life. His love of the game inspired him to launch Men in Blazers podcast in the 2010s. Today, it’s expanded into its own soccer media company with a whole network of podcasts focused on men’s and women’s soccer, international teams and more.
Bennett and his team has been back and forth to Atlanta since the World Cup started five weeks ago, traveling around the country to bring “Match Day Live!” to soccer fans.
“Match Day Live!” — inspired by shows like “College GameDay” — invites special guests from the city and previews the match of the day. They’ve brought the show to Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle.
On Wednesday, Men in Blazers wrapped up its third and final Match Day Live! in Atlanta on the Founders Green.
“We’ve had Big Boi as the first guest. We’ve had Killer Mike. Today we have Ludacris, trying to emanate the story of this city out into the nation and the world beyond,” Bennett said.
Wednesday’s show also featured appearances from “Ted Lasso” star Brendan Hunt and U.S. Women’s Soccer World Cup champion Kelley O’Hara, who is a Peachtree City native.
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Along with the special guests, one lucky fan in attendance can take a penalty shot to win two tickets from Marriott Bonvoy to the World Cup Final. Bennett says it’s his favorite part of the show.
“If you look at the footage, you see in that moment, it’s like human ecstasy. It’s where sports transcends sport and it’s just the good stuff,” he said.
Bennett says it’s too early to name a definitive winner for this year’s World Cup. But Atlanta is high on the list.
“This World Cup is the world coming to discover America and the cities showing themselves to the world. And to come to places like Atlanta, just one of the greatest places on the face of the planet, to tell its story in this moment, with those who love it, out to the world is why we exist,” he said.
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