U.S. Soccer opens US$250m training centre as donor scrutiny follows

U.S. Soccer has officially opened the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center near Atlanta, a US$250m project that consolidates federation headquarters, training and education activity onto a single site.The complex is designed to support all 27 US national teams, including nine extended national teams, and is being positioned as a long-term operational hub ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026.U.S. Soccer chief executive JT Batson said: “This is an exciting leap forward for soccer in this country. 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.”The 200-acre site includes 17 outdoor playing surfaces, including 13 regulation-size natural grass pitches, two turf pitches and two sand pitches for beach soccer.It also features more than 400,000 sq ft of total facilities and a 200,000 sq ft indoor component that includes an indoor artificial turf training field and a full-size futsal and power chair court.U.S. Soccer has emphasised that accessibility and inclusive design were built into the project brief, with different playing surfaces and specialist spaces created for programmes that do not compete on regulation grass pitches.Gensler design director Andrew Jacobs said: “One of the things that we pride ourselves on is doing the research. When it comes down to designing anything well, you want to know who the right audience is.”U.S. Soccer said athlete input shaped practical decisions, including environmental conditions for indoor power chair use and observation sightlines to improve performance analysis.The project’s funding and land package is now part of the story, after confirmation that the development was supported by a US$50m gift from businessman Arthur Blank and a donation of the land from Chick-fil-A chairman Dan Cathy.Cathy’s past public comments opposing same-sex marriage and reported political and charitable giving by the Cathy family have prompted criticism, placing governance and values messaging alongside the federation’s operational milestone.The federation has pitched the facility as a platform for year-round camps, coach education and integrated performance services, which can also strengthen partner servicing and content production by centralising activity.The next operational milestones are a run of early camps and events at the site, with U.S. Soccer using the centre as a permanent base as national teams cycle through preparation windows in the run-up to 2026.