Metro Atlanta creatives hope to share Atlanta's soccer culture during FIFA Men's World Cup

A local artist and his friend are hoping to tell the story of Atlanta’s soccer culture through art ahead of the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup. 

Joseph Veazey is the art director, designer, and illustrator for Veazey Studio. He has illustrated several maps including the Atlanta Rap Map and the American Barbecue Map.

While most maps guide you on a journey, Veazey’s maps guide you through a story. 

“The purpose of a map has changed now,” Veazey said. “I think they’re more about culture and just interesting stuff that wouldn’t be on Google maps is important to be showcased now.” 

Veazey illustrates his maps all by hand. His most recent is the Atlanta Soccer Map which has been released just in time for the World Cup’s arrival in Atlanta. 

“There’s going to be so many people in from out of town for the World Cup that I think this will hopefully give them an opportunity to realize that there is a rich culture here already,” Veazey said. “And you know maybe they’ll want to reach out to some of the people involved or go visit some of the fields or soccer bars. I’m really hoping it helps to open Atlanta up to visitors and, and really, really just make this World Cup something that that exposes Atlanta’s rich culture to the world.

The map took about a month and a half to make including the time it took for initial research. 

“I think just what a rich, vibrant, living, breathing culture this is in this city around soccer,” Veazey said. “The diversity of it is hugely impressive and just all the participators, the nonprofit Soccer in the Streets, the incredible work they did that I wasn’t super aware of before and just all the cool places. Atlanta is a cool place. You know, there’s a lot of interesting stuff to do in the soccer world here.” 

Veazey said his friend, Gavin Guidry, came up with the idea of the Atlanta Soccer Map.

“This is something that I thought to execute on now because of the World Cup, but I’ve been really looking for ways to document the culture here for a long time,” Guidry said. 

Guidry said a map made the most sense because of its simplicity. 

“It’s north, south, east and west,” Guidry said. “And then there’s a bunch of different landmarks and things like that. What I love that Joe does, is he found a way to also include the people and the moments and the stories.”

The map highlights the people, places and experiences that make Atlanta the soccer city it is today. 

“We have everyone from Jason Longshore who’s like the voice of Atlanta United on 92.9 The Game to DJ EU who’s like United’s official DJ but he just really holds down the culture from like a must and event organizing perspective, to the Kitboys who have this upstart brand and are really leading the charge when it comes to, ‘How do we make soccer accessible from an organizing and brand and fashion standpoint.'” 

It showcases soccer bars, pitches around Metro Atlanta, murals, and efforts to make soccer accessible to everyone. 

“What the map is meant to do is help like continue to build that like flywheel of culture that happens in the parks and the bars and all of these different places and just like keep growing and keep going from there,” Guidry said. 

Guidry said the map is a product of the community. 

“Luckily I’ve just been working with so many other creatives in the city that I was also able to ask them you know, what other moments, what other people, what other locations should make it on the map,” Guidry said. “Which just opened it up tenfold.” 

Atlanta Soccer Maps are available to purchase on the Veazey Studio website.