2026 World Cup venues: Atlanta

The roof's the thing at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

It is like a camera shutter made up of eight triangular panels weighing 450,000kg.

When opening, the panels rotate along steel tracks to create a circular opening at the centre of the stadium.

When it is closed, it shows the Mercedes-Benz logo to anyone in a passing helicopters or plane. The roof at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States is made up of eight massive panels that open and close like a camera shutter.

Fans attending the 70,000 seat arena in Atlanta city centre for the game between England and Argentina will hope the football is as slick as the aesthetics up above.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in 2017 to house the Atlanta Falcons American football team and the US Major League Soccer club Atlanta United.

During the 2026 World Cup as the Atlanta Stadium, it hosted seven games before Wednesday's semi-final.

Five came in the group stages and two were in the knockout rounds.

Cape Verde start adventure in Atlanta

The stadium will go down in Cape Verdean football legend as the venue for the national squad's first game at a football World Cup.

The debutants started their adventure against Spain on 15 June in Group H before games against Uruguay in Miami and Saudi Arabia in Houston.

Cape Verde went out after a battle royal with the defending champions Argentina in Miami.

The debutants lost 3-2 after a pulsating match that went to extra-time.

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South Africa and the Czech Republic rolled into Atlanta on 18 June and Spain played their second game in the city on 21 June.

Haiti took on the 2022 semi-finalists Morocco for their final Group C match on 24 June

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Democratic Republic of Congo beat World Cup debutants Uzbekistan 3-1 at the stadium for the final game in Group K. 

And the DRC stayed in town for their last-32 tie against the Group L winners England.

The DRC led from the seventh minute until England skipper Harry Kane asserted his authority 13 minutes from time.

He headed in England's equaliser and then hammered home the winner in the 86th minute to crush the Congolese dreams of a famous victory.

DRC boss Sébastien Desabre hailed his players for their fighting spirit.

"Of course, we're disappointed," he said. "We believed we could do it and I think we played a great match but in the end, one of the best players in the world scored twice.

"It's a shame for us but it's the moment to congratulate my players," added the 49-year-old Frenchman.

Kane will relish repeating such pyrotechnics in the semi against  Argentina which will end Atlanta's involvement in the 2026 World Cup.

“This has been an incredible opportunity for the city of Atlanta to continue to show the world what we have to offer,” said Arthur M Blank, boss of the group which runs the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.