Kick Into Summer | Where the Build Begins

KICK INTO SUMMER
On the Field. Off the Field. One Summer.

This is the launch edition of Kick Into Summer, a weekly series following the road to the 2026 World Cup.

This is not a countdown.

It is a construction project.

Between now and the summer of 2026, a World Cup is being built in real time. Not just in training sessions and federation offices, but in city halls and neighborhoods, in transit plans and stadium corridors, in the small decisions that will quietly shape what the world experiences when it finally arrives.

Kick Into Summer exists to tell that story.

Not as a schedule tracker. Not as a highlight reel. But as a record of how this moment takes shape.

And yes, it is also exactly 150 days until Atlanta hosts its first match. That number matters, even if this project is about more than the clock. It matters because timelines create pressure, because pressure reveals priorities, and because the choices being made now will still be visible long after the opening ceremony fades from memory.

From here in Atlanta, the scale of what is coming into focus is impossible to ignore. This city will not simply host matches. It will help define the experience of a tournament that stretches across a continent and across generations. The same is true in every host city, each with its own pressures, priorities, and promises.

On the field, the game is already changing too. New cycles are beginning. New leaders are emerging. New expectations are forming. What happens between now and kickoff will matter just as much as what happens when the whistle finally blows.

That is why this newsletter exists.

Kick Into Summer is about momentum, not just toward opening day, but toward meaning. It is about understanding how soccer’s biggest summer is being shaped before it ever arrives. And it is about telling that story with the care it deserves.

Every week, we will look at what is changing, what is being decided, and what those choices will leave behind. We will follow the game itself and the cities preparing to welcome the world. And we will do it from the perspective that has always guided the SDH Network, grounded in Atlanta and connected everywhere the game lives.

This is the long view.

And this is where it begins.

With 150 days to go before Atlanta hosts its first 2026 World Cup match, city and stadium leaders used today’s media briefing to signal a shift from preparation to delivery. Officials from the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee and Mercedes-Benz Stadium outlined how operational planning is now giving way to on-the-ground execution, from transportation upgrades to fan experience design.

Among the most significant updates: Atlanta’s FIFA Fan Festival will be held in Centennial Olympic Park, just steps from the stadium, and will be free and open to the public. Organizers emphasized that accessibility is a core goal of the city’s World Cup approach, positioning the festival as a civic celebration rather than a gated attraction.

On the infrastructure side, MARTA confirmed major readiness steps for 2026, including higher service frequency on matchdays, station upgrades at key hubs, multilingual wayfinding, and the rollout of tap-to-pay fare systems. Stadium officials detailed progress on one of the tournament’s most visible projects: the conversion of Mercedes-Benz Stadium to a full natural grass pitch for FIFA matches, alongside extensive branding cover-ups to meet “clean site” requirements.

Host committee president Dan Corso framed the moment as a transition point. With the tournament draw complete and matchups confirmed, Atlanta is moving from assumption-based planning to scenario-driven execution, tailoring everything from traffic management to fan services around the teams and supporters who will arrive in 2026.

The message from the briefing was consistent across speakers: Atlanta’s World Cup is no longer theoretical. It is now being built, visibly and deliberately, across the city.

As national teams refine their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, base camp decisions are beginning to take shape with strategic choices that reflect both logistical pragmatism and competitive intent. France has confirmed Boston, Massachusetts as its official base, training at sites including the Boston University Track & Tennis Center and staying in the greater Boston area to balance match proximity with high-performance facilities. This follows earlier reports that Kansas City is emerging as one of the tournament’s most sought-after hubs, with multiple nations investigating the city’s training infrastructure and accommodation offerings ahead of group play.

Across the Plains, logistical interest has clustered around Lawrence, Kansas — north of Kansas City — with at least two countries reported to have visited for potential base camp evaluation, drawn by University of Kansas facilities and the region’s central location. Local analysts note that Lawrence’s combination of training quality and cost-effective positioning makes it attractive for teams balancing preparation needs with compact travel itineraries.

Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere, Australia’s Socceroos are reported to be eyeing camp sites that mirror their tactical and conditioning philosophy, with a focus on environments that can support both fitness work and climate adaptation ahead of tournament play. While a final city has not been announced, the Australians’ evaluations are seen as a meaningful indicator of how teams are thinking about balancing comfort, conditions, and proximity to group stage venues.

FIFA this week announced two major partnerships that underscore how the 2026 World Cup is being built as both a global event and a multi-platform experience. Marriott Bonvoy has been named the tournament’s Official Hotel Supporter in North America, positioning its network of more than 30 hotel brands across the United States, Canada, and Mexico as a foundational part of the fan journey. FIFA and Marriott emphasized accessibility and scale, with fan activations, loyalty-driven experiences, and properties located across all host cities expected to play a central role during the tournament.

At the same time, FIFA confirmed a first-of-its-kind agreement with TikTok as its Preferred Platform through the end of 2026. The partnership will anchor coverage around a dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 hub on TikTok, featuring behind-the-scenes access, curated clips, creator-led storytelling, and new live-streaming and monetization opportunities for official media partners. Together, the deals reflect FIFA’s focus on shaping how fans travel, gather, and engage with the World Cup well beyond the 90 minutes on the field.

Tunisia has appointed Sabri Lamouchi as its new head coach as the national team prepares for the 2026 World Cup. Lamouchi, a 54-year-old French-Tunisian manager with previous experience in European club football and on the international stage, signed a contract that will keep him in charge through July 31, 2028, signaling the Tunisian Football Federation’s intent to build stability in the run-up to the tournament.

He succeeds Sami Trabelsi, who left the position after Tunisia’s round-of-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations. With the Carthage Eagles drawn into Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and a European playoff winner, Lamouchi inherits a squad that has already secured qualification and now enters a new cycle of tactical and personnel planning.

The appointment reflects both footballing ambition and cultural connection; Lamouchi, born in Lyon to Tunisian heritage, brings a blend of European managerial experience and familiarity with African football environments. His long-term contract suggests that the federation is looking beyond tournament results toward broader team development and consistency as 2026 approaches.

The March international window is quickly filling with marquee matchups as World Cup contenders sharpen their preparations across North America and beyond. A new “Road to 26” series in the United States will feature Brazil, France, Colombia, and Croatia, with matches scheduled in Boston, Orlando, and the Washington, D.C. area. The slate includes high-profile rematches and early tests of venues that will host World Cup matches next summer.

Elsewhere, federations are using the March window to balance competitive preparation with logistical rehearsal. European and South American powers are locking in opponents that mirror group-stage challenges, while host-nation venues are gaining early exposure to international crowds and operational demands. As base camps are finalized and coaching cycles reset, the March window is emerging as one of the clearest indicators yet that the competitive build to 2026 is accelerating.

Analysis from Madison Crews on the groups and storylines shaping the 2026 World Cup.

With the expanded 48-team format at this year’s World Cup, it is harder than ever to point to a true “group of death.” Still, as I mentioned on our SDH World Cup show at the Brewhouse, Group I comes the closest. Featuring France, Senegal, Norway, and the winner of FIFA Playoff 2 (Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname), the group is packed with history, talent, and real upset potential. Any one of these teams is capable of reshaping the narrative of the tournament, which makes this group must-watch from the very start.

Events since the draw have only strengthened that case. Senegal’s run to the AFCON final, where they will face Morocco on Sunday, has reinforced just how dangerous this group truly is. This is not a team living off past reputation. Senegal arrive in 2026 with momentum, depth, and a proven ability to handle high-pressure tournament environments, exactly the traits that make a group volatile.

The storyline between France and Senegal alone gives Group I its edge. After France lifted the World Cup in 1998, they entered the 2002 tournament as favorites, only to be stunned by Senegal in the opening match. Papa Bouba Diop’s iconic goal helped topple the reigning champions in what remains one of the most memorable openers in World Cup history. Now the sense of déjà vu is unavoidable. France will begin their 2026 campaign against Senegal on June 16, a matchup that still carries weight inside FIFA circles and across the global game.

Adding even more danger is Norway, a team nobody seems eager to face. The reaction at the Brewhouse said it all when fans realized Norway would not be in the USMNT’s group. There was a collective sigh of relief. Norway have not lost since October 13, 2024, and Erling Haaland has been relentless, carrying that form directly into international play. His goals powered Norway to qualification for their first World Cup since 1998, winning all eight matches in a UEFA qualifying group that even included Italy.

With Senegal’s AFCON run confirming their tournament credentials, France carrying both expectation and history, and Norway arriving with confidence and one of the world’s most feared finishers, Group I feels less like a balanced draw and more like a slow-burn collision. In a World Cup designed to spread opportunity across 48 teams, this group stands out as one where nothing will come easily for anyone.

How cities are preparing to welcome the world and what lasts after.

With 150 days to go, Atlanta’s World Cup preparation is no longer theoretical. It is operational.

That shift was clear in today’s media briefing, where city, stadium, and transit leaders spoke less about vision and more about execution. The focus now is on how people move, where they gather, and how the city functions when hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive not just for matches, but for weeks of activity around them.

Nowhere is that more evident than in MARTA’s planning. The region’s transit system has not faced a test of this scale since the 1996 Olympics, and officials are openly designing for surge, not routine. Matchday service will increase, bus routes downtown will be reworked, and station staffing will expand through a mix of local officers, visiting transit police, retired workers who know the system, and volunteers trained specifically to assist visitors.

Wayfinding is a central piece of that effort. FIFA-branded signage in multiple languages will guide fans through stations, while Five Points Station, recently renovated with new lighting and platforms, becomes a symbolic and functional hub connecting the stadium, Centennial Olympic Park, and South Downtown. The goal is not just to move people efficiently, but to make the experience legible and welcoming for fans unfamiliar with the city.

Crucially, MARTA’s role extends beyond matchdays. Neighborhoods across the region are planning festivals, watch parties, and concerts that turn the World Cup into a month-long civic moment rather than a series of isolated events. That broader footprint is part of the design, not a side effect.

Atlanta is not alone in this work. In Kansas City for example, host-city organizers are similarly focused on connectivity, volunteer mobilization, and regional coordination across multiple jurisdictions. The specifics differ, but the questions are the same: how to scale existing systems without breaking them, and how to make visitors feel oriented rather than overwhelmed.

That is what shaping the summer looks like at this stage. Not slogans or countdowns, but scenario planning, staffing charts, and infrastructure decisions that will quietly define how the World Cup is remembered long after the final whistle.

What’s next and why it carries weight.

• AFCON final: Senegal vs. Morocco (Sunday, 2pm Eastern)
Senegal’s run to the final adds immediate context to one of the World Cup’s most compelling groups. Morocco, a semifinalist at the last World Cup and widely expected to make another deep run this summer, will also play in Atlanta. How Sunday unfolds will shape how seriously both sides are viewed heading into the spring.

• March international window logistics come into focus
With venues, opponents, and travel plans being finalized, March friendlies will serve as both competitive tests and operational rehearsals for host cities and federations alike.

• 100-days-out milestone for Atlanta (March 12)
As Atlanta crosses the 100-day mark before its first match, planning shifts further toward delivery. Public-facing details on transportation, fan zones, and security are expected to sharpen quickly.

Two global signals shaping the road to 2026.

[Medellín, Colombia]
In Colombia, the World Cup is being framed as a national force well beyond the pitch. Recent coverage has focused on how qualification for 2026 is expected to drive economic activity, tourism, cultural visibility, and social cohesion, with the tournament viewed as a moment of international reintroduction as much as a sporting objective. In this context, the World Cup becomes a catalyst that reaches into daily life and the country’s long-term narrative, not just a summer destination.

[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]
Brazil’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup is extending into the cultural sphere as much as the sporting one. Leaked images of potential team apparel suggest a Jordan Brand collaboration on Brazil’s 2026 World Cup jacket and away kit, blending the national crest with an aesthetic far from traditional football gear. Early concepts have shown bold, non-traditional colorways, including designs that diverge sharply from Brazil’s classic palette, sparking discussion about identity and heritage ahead of the tournament. While nothing has been officially confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation, the ongoing conversation reflects how the World Cup’s global platform is shaping not just how teams play, but how they present themselves to fans around the world.

This week marked a clear transition in the road to 2026, from planning to proof. In Atlanta, preparations are now being tested against real timelines and real scenarios, particularly around transportation, fan movement, and public space. Globally, national teams are making decisions that reveal intent, not just ambition, from base camps and coaching appointments to how they present themselves on the world stage. On the field, competitive form and scheduling are sharpening the picture of what kind of tournament is coming. Taken together, these signals show that the World Cup is no longer an abstract future event. It is a series of choices being made now, and those choices will shape how the summer is experienced and remembered.

Days to kickoff: 150
What that means: With five months to go, Atlanta is no longer planning for the World Cup in theory. Today’s updates show how the city is beginning to test, staff, and stress its systems ahead of June.

This is not just a tournament build. It is a moment taking shape in real time, shaped by players chasing something bigger, cities opening themselves to the world, and people who believe this summer can matter if it is done the right way.

Thank you for being part of how this summer will be remembered.

Jason Longshore
SDH Network

Kick Into Summer is part of the SDH Network’s 2026 coverage, telling the story of soccer’s biggest summer with clarity, context, and community, starting in Atlanta and reaching everywhere the game lives.