ATLANTA (June 9, 2026) – As Atlanta prepares to welcome global visitors for World Cup 2026™, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Center) will open The People’s Game: Soccer and Human Rights, a landmark new exhibition exploring how fans, players, and teams leverage soccer into a force for dignity, community, and social change.
Opening June 20 and on view for one year, the exhibition is presented with support from Gallagher and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in partnership with Atlanta United.
“As Atlanta prepares to welcome the world for FIFA World Cup 2026, we have an extraordinary opportunity to showcase not only our passion for soccer, but also the values that define our city. The People’s Game highlights the power of sport to bring people together across cultures, create a sense of belonging and inspire positive change. We are proud to support an exhibition that reflects Atlanta’s spirit of inclusion and service while inviting visitors from around the globe to explore the connections between soccer, community and human dignity.”
-Arthur M. Blank, Chairman, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
The People’s Game exhibition includes connections to globally recognized players, clubs, and movements including Pelé, Megan Rapinoe, Didier Drogba, Corinthians, FC St. Pauli, Bayern Munich, and Atlanta United.
Curated by Daniel Fuller, Director of Curation at the Center, The People’s Game exhibition brings together immersive storytelling, global artifacts, photography, sound, film, and interactive experiences—including a new take on foosball—that explore the cultural power of soccer far beyond the pitch.
Visitors will encounter an immersive “Audio Dome” featuring voices from players, supporters, activists, refugees, historians, and community leaders from around the world reflecting on how soccer shapes social movements. The exhibition also features stories connected to anti-apartheid activists in South Africa, democracy movements in Brazil and Côte d’Ivoire, refugee and immigrant communities, and supporter groups using soccer as a platform for inclusion and social change.
“Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, but its importance extends far beyond the game itself,” said Daniel Fuller, curator of The People’s Game: Soccer and Human Rights. “Across generations and continents, football has become a language through which people express identity, build community, resist oppression, and imagine a more just world.”
Arriving during a period of intense global debate around migration, nationalism, race, gender, and labor in sport, the exhibition examines how soccer continues to reflect broader struggles over belonging and human dignity. The exhibition highlights Atlanta’s role as a global crossroads shaped by migration, activism, and the growing cultural impact of soccer. Featured stories include Soccer in the Streets; the refugee-centered work of Fugees Family in Clarkston, GA; and artifacts connected to Atlanta United’s community impact.
Also located inside the museum, visitors will experience a special display of more than 20 signed jerseys from legendary players including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Pelé, celebrating the sport’s lasting global influence.
To help welcome international audiences expected during World Cup 2026™, the Center is also launching MIA, a new AI-powered multilingual interpretation application developed in partnership with The Legacy Line, an Atlanta-based immersive technology company. Accessible through visitors’ mobile phones, the platform instantly translates exhibition content into more than 30 languages through text and audio experiences available throughout the museum.
“We believe stories about dignity and human rights should be accessible and meaningful to people from every background,” said Jill Savitt, CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. “As the world comes to Atlanta, this exhibition shows how soccer can bring people together across cultures and borders while reminding us that ordinary people have the power to strengthen communities and shape history.”
The People’s Game: Soccer and Human Rights opens June 20 at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and will remain on view for one year.
For tickets and information, visit civilandhumanrights.org/soccer-and-human-rights.
