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Working closely with U.S. Soccer, the LMA is delighted to have delivered the inaugural LMA – U.S. Soccer Technical Exchange Programme in Atlanta, a host city for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and home to the new Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center. The programme brought together 21 senior coaches and technical leaders from across football, including 11 LMA and LCA members and 10 U.S. Soccer elite coaches, and demonstrated the value of cross-culture collaboration and shared learning in coach development.
The six-day agenda was designed specifically to challenge and inform the attendees through a varied programme of sessions focused on developing and enhancing leadership, high-performance practice and tactical understanding. There was also the unique opportunity to gain insight into elite performance environments across football and American sport through a series of exclusive visits, presentations and networking opportunities, including:
• An in-depth tour of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, alongside a presentation exploring the landscape of professional soccer in the United States
• Presentations from FIFA exploring the latest tactical trends observed during the FIFA World Cup, with a collaborative match analysis workshop focussed on the Spain v Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup fixture
• Live observations of two FIFA World Cup matches: Spain v Saudi Arabia and Morocco v Haiti.
• A visit to the Atlanta Falcons' NFL training facility, including observation of the team's training session and discussions with senior executives on leadership, performance and organisational culture
• A visit to Atlanta United's MLS training ground, with discussions focused on the club's high-performance environment and player development
• A private dinner and Q&A with LMA Committee Member and Charlotte FC Head Coach, Dean Smith
• A leadership presentation and Q&A with LMA Member and Sporting Jacksonville Head of Soccer, Mark Warburton, sharing insights from his coaching and management career
• A Q&A session with LMA Member and U.S. Soccer U16 Head Coach Paul Simpson, discussing his experiences and perspectives on coaching in the United States
The programme reinforced the value of international collaboration in coach development, providing participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas, challenge one another's thinking and build lasting professional relationships with coaches from different football cultures, all within the unique environment of a FIFA World Cup.
Building on the success of the inaugural exchange, the LMA and U.S. Soccer will continue exploring opportunities to strengthen international coach development through future technical exchanges and collaborative learning initiatives.
Rebecca Gentle, Member Services Director, commented: “The Technical Exchange Programme has provided our members the opportunity to collaborate in elite environments alongside coaches from different backgrounds. Throughout the visit they had access to a number of world-class organisations across the sporting landscape, which encouraged the sharing of ideas, challenged their thinking and has helped drive their career and professional development.
“The feedback we have received from our members who attended has been outstanding, and everyone at the LMA would like to thank U.S. Soccer, FIFA, the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, and all of our guest contributors for their generosity and support in making this visit such a valuable experience for our members.
“We are looking forward to building on this visit and delivering more international learning opportunities for our members.
David Artell, LMA Member, commented:
“It was a truly memorable and enriching visit. The sessions at Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons gave a fascinating insight into how world-class sporting organisations operate at the highest level, while the tour of the US National Soccer Centre was genuinely inspiring.
“Having the opportunity to spend time with, Paul Simpson, Dean Smith and Mark Warburton added something really special given their experiences in the US and the conversations, shared experiences and camaraderie with the group made it all the more valuable.
“It is exactly this kind of experience that makes being a member of the LMA so meaningful.”
