Mexico-Venezuela Atlanta match nearing 30k ticket mark

The first international soccer match at the Georgia Dome may not fill the indoor arena, but it should provide the setting for an electric atmosphere.

Soccer United Marketing, which is promoting a U.S. tour of the Mexican national team, reported on Wednesday that nearly 30,000 tickets have been sold for next Wednesday’s (June 24) friendly between Mexico and Venezuela.

The game is less than a week away, but a full slate of promotional events, including an appearance by El Tricolor legends Luis Hernandez, Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Manuel Negrete is on tap this weekend, when real grass will be laid down in the Dome for the first time.

The timing of the Mexico-Venezuela match also is important for organizers of Atlanta’s World Cup venue bid, who were notified this week by the U.S. Soccer Federation that the Dome had made the first cut of potential sites to be considered should the U.S. get either the 2018 or 2022 event.