U.S. Soccer gathered recently alongside the leaders from across sport, business, philanthropy, and Government to celebrate the official opening of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, located just South of Atlanta near the town of Trilith (US).
‘ussoccer.com’ stated that the milestone event brought together the visionary leaders behind the project culminating in an official ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the beginning of a new era for soccer in the United States.
Georgia (US)-based the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of soccer in the United States.
National Training Center
‘ussoccer.com’ further stated that the National Training Center stands as a testament to the extraordinary partnership anchored by a $50 million lead gift from Arthur M. Blank (American businessman and sports team owner), a land donation from Dan T. Cathy (American businessman) and transformational women’s-specific support from Michele Kang (businesswoman and sports team owner). That leadership was matched by founding commercial partners and a broader community of donors who helped to establish this groundbreaking facility.
As the new home for soccer in America the National Training Center will serve as a cornerstone for U.S. Soccer’s strategic ambitions fueling the growth and accessibility of the game across the United States.
Shared Investment
That same spirit of shared investment carries through a collective of partners united behind the National Training Center’s long-term impact. The Founding Partners, including AT&T, Bank of America, Chobani, Coca-Cola, Emory Healthcare, Nike, and ŌURA are joined by a diverse network of supporting and supplier partners, many with deep roots in Georgia. Together, alongside the strong backing of the Fayetteville, Fayette County and the State of Georgia their partnership and commitment will help define the impact and legacy of the National Training Center for years to come.
Commented Cindy Parlow Cone, U.S. Soccer President, “The National Training Center represents so much of what we want U.S. Soccer to be. It honors the people who have built this game over more than a century and it gives us a home where we can serve the next generation of players, coaches, referees, members, and fans. This facility was built for all 27 of our national teams and for the entire soccer community and now our job is to make sure everyone who walks through these doors feels like it belongs to them.”
Situated on a 200-acre site the facility currently occupies 123 developed acres thoughtfully designed to accommodate future expansion as the game continues to grow and evolve.
The facility features:
- Seventeen outdoor playing surfaces including 13 regulation size natural grass fields, two artificial turf fields and two sand pitches for beach soccer;
- More than 400,000 sq. ft of total facilities including two indoor playing surfaces featuring an indoor artificial turf training facility and a full-size futsal/power court; and
- Indoor space that boasts a 10,000 sq ft. high-performance gym, 20 locker rooms, 19 meeting rooms for the members, the coaches and the community and dedicated headquarters space for all the U.S. Soccer staff.
‘Exciting Leap’
Observed JT Batson, U.S. Soccer head honcho, “This is an exciting leap forward for soccer in the United States. The National Training Center is the product of a shared vision and deep partnership. Because of the commitment and hard work of so many we’ve delivered a world-class facility on time and on budget ensuring U.S. Soccer is in our new home ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.”
U.S. Way
As the home to all of U.S. Soccer’s 27 national teams the National Training Center brings the U.S. Way to life – creating a player-first environment built for performance, accessibility and long-term development that will allow the shared standards and best practices that define the U.S. Way to be consistently delivered across every national team. The facility will provide the coaches, the players and the support staff with unparalleled access to advanced Sports Science, performance data and world-class facilities, elevating talent identification, accelerating player development, and optimizing recovery.
Beyond the impact on the national teams the facility will serve as a powerful catalyst for growth for the entire soccer community in the United States. Purpose-built with innovation and long-term impact at its core the National Training Center strengthens U.S. Soccer’s shared, scalable infrastructure model, an essential pillar of the U.S. Way, while driving forward the development of the coaches and the referees through immersive education and research, hands-on learning and direct access to world-class expertise.
Inclusivity
The building stands among the most accessible training facilities ever built with inclusivity embedded in every aspect of its design. From the outset, the National Training Center was intentionally designed to ensure a seamless experience for all the athletes and the visitors featuring a continuous surface throughout the building for full wheelchair accessibility, integrated tactile and audio/visual design elements and thoughtfully designated locker rooms with lower benches and lockers. It also includes a dedicated charging room for power soccer chairs reinforcing U.S. Soccer’s commitment to removing barriers and creating environments where every player can thrive.
Added Arthur M. Blank, “The above development marks a defining moment, not just for soccer, but for our entire community. To see this vision come to life is incredibly powerful. This has been a true team effort driven by shared belief, partnership and a commitment to growing the beautiful game across our State and throughout United States. My family and our portfolio of businesses are deeply honored to be part of something that will shape lives both on and off the field. What’s been built here is extraordinary but even more exciting is what comes next. I look forward to what will be achieved here in the years ahead.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup™, the quadrennial international Men’s soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will take place from June 11th-July 19th, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities – 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. The tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup™ to be hosted by three nations and the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from 32 previously.
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