ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Hosting eight matches, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium ranked as the best World Cup stadium this year by USA Today, The New York Times and Sports Illustrated — and on Wednesday, stadium leadership revealed the enormity of the task.
Dubbed Atlanta Stadium during the World Cup due to FIFA branding rules, the Benz welcomed more than 500,000 fans and 4,000 credentialed media from more than 100 countries from June 15 through July 15. Nearly 1.4 million food and beverage items were served during the tournament, all at an affordable price thanks to the stadium’s fan-friendly rates.
Mercedes-Benz World Cup: By The Numbers
Mercedes-Benz World Cup: By The Numbers ⚽
Across all eight matches, the stadium welcomed a total of 544,516
fans.
Nearly 1.4 million food and beverage items served at the stadium
across the eight matches. That totaled to more than 585,000 transactions.
The amount of waste diverted from landfills across all matches.
This includes 407,560 pounds of composted material and 94,000 pounds of recycled glass and
cardboard.
The amount of data used on stadium Wi-FI across the tournament.
Mercedes-Benz officials that is equivalent of more than 220 million selfies posted from the stands,
with 135,000 fans connecting to the network.
The amount of data used during the seminfinal match in Atlanta
alone. This is the second highest total for any event in stadium history.
The number of Coca-Cola souvenir cups sold.
The number of Dasani water bottles, burgers, and bags of popcorn
sold at the stadium during all eight matches, respectively.
Pieces of furniture leftover from the tournament donated to the Furniture
Bank of Metro Atlanta.
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium also delivered on its green promises after being named as the world’s most sustainable sports venue by the World Economic Forum last year.
The stadium is the first in the world to earn the TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste, which requires that 90% of all solid waste be diverted from landfills over one year. During the World Cup, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium actually surpassed that limit, diverting 91% of all waste across eight matches for composting, recycling or donation.
Tim Zulawsk, president of AMB Sports and Entertainment, said the tournament represented “the very best of what our city and state can accomplish together.”
“Public and private partners throughout Atlanta and Georgia united behind a shared goal: to welcome the world and deliver an unforgettable experience worthy of the moment,” he continued. “A World Cup is defined not just by the results of the matches, but by the moments people share.”
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s next major sporting event is Super Bowl LXII in 2028.
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