Dietmar Exler said he couldn’t stop smiling after learning that Atlanta would serve as one of 16 host cities for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
“I’ll be smiling all night long,” AMB Sports and Entertainment’s COO and the former CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA said. “My wife’s going to ask me, ‘What’s gotten into you?’”
He probably wasn’t the only one in town that could keep from smiling, though. In a way, Atlanta being awarded hosting privileges along with 11 U.S. cities — plus 2 in Canada and 3 in Mexico — might have felt a bit anti-climactic, what with a track record of hosting prestigious, globally-appealing sporting events in the past.