Arthur Blank, the long-time owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and the co-founder of Home Depot, made his first pitch to MLS commissioner Don Garber during a meeting in Aspen, Colorado.In the early 2010s, MLS did not have a team south-east of Washington D.C. The two Florida teams, Orlando City and Inter Miami, were not up and running. There were no teams in the Carolinas. Garber had reservations. Atlanta, for so long, had been a football town, both professional and college, while the Braves of baseball assumed national prominence. Two NHL teams came and went.Blank had plans to build what became the Mercedes-Benz stadium in downtown Atlanta, but he wanted it to be multi-purpose, for both football and soccer. Garber’s body language earned a rebuke.He tells The Athletic: “Arthur looked at me and said, ‘I was born in New York, but I’ve been living in Atlanta for the greater part of my life. One thing I’ve learned is all you New Yorkers underestimate what great cities can be in our country… I assure you that Atlanta will be an incredible market for MLS and we will do things that will shock the world.”This summer, Atlanta will host the world, across eight World Cup games which includes European champions Spain in the group stages, plus elimination games in the round of 32, round of 16 and semi-final. Atlanta is now the official home of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, which opened last month. Blank committed $50 million and helped rally philanthropists and major businesses towards the $250 million cost.The Arthur M. Blank training center. (Photo: Colin Hubbard/USSF/Getty Images)While preparations in several U.S. cities have descended into unseemly rows over transportation, or charging for Fan Fests, Atlanta is extending southern hospitality. The city’s MARTA transportation network will stay at its usual price of $2.50. The official Fan Fest will be free. Inside venues, FIFA ordinarily assume control of concession prices. But Blank had a red line for any FIFA deal: fan-friendly prices must remain. For all events, his stadium insists on affordable concessions: $2 for a soft drink (and free refills), and $2 for a hot dog, popcorn or pretzels.“People feel welcome here,” Blank tells The Athletic. “There’s never been price gouging here. We want people to feel like this is their home, safe and secure, embraced, loved and respected. Those things are not negotiable. It’s the same for the World Cup as it is for the Super Bowl. It never got past the first discussion with FIFA because we said it is a given, this is who we are. We have to make fans feel treasured and appreciated.”Blank, 83, is seated inside a boardroom at his family office. It is located close to Buckhead, sometimes referred to as the Beverly Hills of the south. It is a pristine building, reminiscent of an old stately home. Blank is joined by his youngest son, Josh, a 29-year-old who works across AMB Sports & Entertainment, the family business, as executive vice-president of strategy. Their sports portfolio includes the Falcons, Atlanta United and they have recently secured expansion rights for an NWSL team in Atlanta, creating what Blank Sr. describes as a “triangle” between investments in MLS, NWSL, and U.S. Soccer.Blank Sr. did not grow up playing soccer. His sports were football and track. His soccer curiosity was piqued as a dad on the sidelines. Josh and his sister Danielle, in particular, were part of a newly obsessed generation of American soccer kids. He played NCAA Division 1 soccer at Elon University, where he captained his team while graduating in Sports Management. He was a defensive midfielder who admired Yaya Toure and Sergio Busquets. He’d wake up early on weekend mornings to follow Arsenal, at a time when no major soccer teams existed in his own region. He loved Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, even in the years of frustration, admiring the midfield combinations of Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta.Arthur and Josh Blank. (Credit: AMBSE)“Arthur fell in love with the game because it was so important to his son,” Garber says.From the outside, sports ownership looks fun and terrifying; it requires deep pockets and plenty of resilience, not least when supporters crave success. The Falcons have not won the Super Bowl since Blank acquired the team in 2002, but Atlanta United won the MLS Cup in the second year of its existence in 2018. The team have averaged the highest attendance in MLS in every season since it has competed.