Pride on the Pitch: A World Cup conversation with Briana Scurry. On June 29, 2026, the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority (AFCRA) teamed up with Athlete Ally and U.S. Soccer to host Pride on the Pitch, a fireside chat celebrating the intersection of the FIFA World Cup in Atlanta and Pride Month. Hundreds of Atlanta residents and visitors gathered at State Farm Arena as National Soccer Hall of Famer and two-time Olympic gold medalist Briana Scurry sat down with Athlete Ally Founder and Executive Director Hudson Taylor. Stream the conversation: In 1996, as Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics, Briana Scurry helped lead the U.S. Women's National Team to the first Olympic gold medal ever awarded in women's soccer - in front of a record-setting crowd at Sanford Stadium, in a moment that changed the sport forever. Thirty years later, the world returned, and so did she. "The Atlanta Games gave me one of the proudest moments of my career. To come back during a World Cup summer - and during Pride Month - to talk about what we're building for the next generation of LGBTQ+ athletes feels like a full-circle moment I'll never take for granted," said Scurry. Scurry is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in the history of the game. Her career spans two Olympic gold medals, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup championship, and a 2017 induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, where she became the first Black woman and the first openly gay player ever enshrined. "Briana didn't just change what was possible on the field - she changed what was possible for athletes who refuse to hide who they are. At a moment when LGBTQ+ athletes are under real attacks, Athlete Ally is proud to stand with the people of Atlanta in highlighting Bri's story, and the story of so many like her around the world," said Taylor. During the evening, the Steering Committee of the Atlanta LGBTQ+ Community Center Initiative presented AFCRA Executive Director Kerry Stewart with the inaugural Lynn Barfield Ally of the Year Award, citing his unwavering dedication to the initiative's success - consistently going above and beyond to advance the mission and ensure the team has the resources it needs to make an LGBTQ+ community center in Atlanta a reality. "Atlanta has always called itself the city too busy to hate, and this summer, with the World Cup and Pride Month converging, we get to prove it. As we work to build Atlanta's next-generation LGBTQ+ community center, a night like this is a preview of the belonging we're trying to make permanent," said Stewart. Pride on the Pitch was the first programmatic preview from the Atlanta LGBTQ+ Community Center Initiative - a bold effort to create a permanent home for connection, care, and community. Led by AFCRA, the initiative brings together public, private, and community partners to build a space worthy of Atlanta. Event partners included Showcase Atlanta and All Stripes. The full conversation can be streamed at vimeo.com/1206262986.

U.S. Soccer names Soccer Celebration in San Pedro Square Market official watch party for USMNT's FIFA World cup(tm) Round of 32 match. Friday, Jun 26, 2026, 03:05 PM SAN JOSE, Calif. - U.S. Soccer, in partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes, the San José Sports Authority, the City of San José and the Bay Area Host Committee announced today that Soccer Celebration presented by El Camino Health in San Pedro Square Market will be the official watch party location for the U.S. Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup 2026(TM) Round of 32 knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, at 5 p.m. PT. Since the outset of the World Cup on June 11, San Jose has taken the lead nationwide for tournament buzz as the preeminent place to experience the games outside the match venues themselves. Hosted by the Earthquakes in partnership with the San José Sports Authority and the City of San José, San Pedro Square Market has been the epicenter of the Bay Area watch parties. As the only location showing all 104 World Cup matches with free admission, more than 350,000 total fans have brought their passion and pride to Soccer Celebration during the group stage alone, with attendance for the first three USMNT games reaching as high as 25,000 spectators - easily one of the largest watch parties in North America. Now with the biggest USMNT game in Bay Area history coming on Wednesday, it's only fitting that the largest watch party in the region matches the magnitude of the game and the unwavering enthusiasm of its fans. The first addition to San Pedro Square Market for this event will be an unprecedented fourth giant screen to provide spectators another option to see the action alongside the now iconic 450-square-foot video wall bookending the viewing area on North San Pedro Street. In addition, the El Camino Health Togethering Zone(TM) will be joined by several new soccer activities, partner activations, Earthquakes player appearances and more, as well as special U.S. Soccer activations. Additional San Jose viewing options are available at Creekside, Santana Row and Alum Rock. For more information, please visit the SJ26 World Cup website. While the past two weeks have once again demonstrated the sport's massive popularity in the region, the numbers unequivocally show that San Jose and the South Bay have always been one of North America's true soccer capitals, historically and today. San Francisco Bay Area Stadium has been filled to at least 99% capacity for all five World Cup matches this summer, with two reaching the full-house number of 68,827 fans. In the 1994 FIFA Men's World Cup, Stanford Stadium averaged nearly 82,000 fans over six games - including the USMNT's last knockout round match on home soil, a 1-0 loss to Brazil in the Round of 16. In 1999, Spartan Stadium was a host venue for the FIFA Women's World Cup and was part of a record total attendance of 1.194 million fans that stood for 16 years. Since the Earthquakes set the foundation for Bay Area soccer in 1974, they have grown the game in the region the following decades, winning MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003 and building PayPal Park in 2015. As one of the signature soccer-first stadiums in North America when it opened, it has hosted the MLS All-Star Game, a USMNT World Cup Qualifier, seven U.S. Women's National Team matches with capacity crowds, several major international friendlies, and last year alone, the USMNT in the Concacaf Gold Cup and the NWSL Championship. In addition to hosting matches in the 2024 Copa America and 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup that cracked 70,000 spectators, Levi's Stadium has played host to Earthquakes' games in the previous two seasons that surpassed 50,000 fans, setting both the respective Leagues Cup and club standalone attendance records. And with the Quakes currently tied on points for first place in the Western Conference, they enjoyed multiple sellouts of PayPal Park heading into the World Cup break and will aim to continue that trend when they return to domestic league play in July. San Jose will only build on this unstoppable momentum from this World Cup on the international level as well, with Summer Olympics soccer coming to PayPal Park in 2028. About San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes, one of Major League Soccer's original clubs, are the epicenter for soccer in Northern California, playing at the highest professional level in the United States. The club won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003 and took home Supporters' Shields in 2005 and 2012. The Earthquakes are based out of PayPal Park, an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium that opened in 2015 and is the first cloud-enabled venue in MLS. The organization was originally founded in 1974 in the North American Soccer League, and in 2024, celebrated its 50th anniversary of positively impacting communities around Northern California. For more information about the Earthquakes, visit www.sjearthquakes.com. About the San Jose Sports Authority The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose's economic development, visibility, and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City's sports commission since its inception in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract and host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org. About SJ26 SJ26, an initiative of the San Jose Sports Authority, is dedicated to delivering world-class sports and entertainment experiences that showcase the best of San Jose. Through fan fests, watch parties, community celebrations, and major sporting events, SJ26 creates opportunities for residents and visitors to come together while supporting local businesses and highlighting San Jose as a premier sports destination. Alongside the San Jose Earthquakes, City of San Jose, and Bay Area Host Committee, we are excited to create the atmosphere for USMNT fans to experience San Jose. For more information visit sj26.sanjose.org/world-cup.