Nike, Soccer Village Lloyd’s unveil Johns Creek World Cup retail upgrade

Nike and Soccer Village Lloyd’s have turned a Johns Creek retail location into a World Cup-focused soccer destination, a move that lands just south of Forsyth County as families, clubs and youth players gear up for the 2026 tournament. The upgrade matters because it shows how quickly consumer spending is shifting toward soccer-specific gear, experiences and destination shopping ahead of Atlanta’s World Cup run.

Nike said its June 11 retail push will reach more than 5,000 stores worldwide, using partner-led experiences, product storytelling, on-site personalization and community events to bring shoppers closer to the game. The company is trying to turn retail space into an experience, not just a place to buy cleats and jerseys, and Johns Creek is now part of that strategy.

The timing is hard to miss. Atlanta is scheduled to host eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches on June 15, June 18, June 21, June 24 and June 27, followed by knockout-round matches on July 1 and July 7 and a semifinal on July 15. With the tournament bringing global attention and a steady stream of soccer fans into metro Atlanta, retailers in the northern suburbs are moving to capture demand before the crowds arrive.

That push comes alongside a much larger retail and residential buildout in Johns Creek. Medley, the 43-acre mixed-use project at Johns Creek Parkway and McGinnis Ferry Road, is expected to open in late October. The project is slated to include more than 880 luxury apartments and townhomes, 164,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and entertainment space, and 110,000 square feet of lifestyle office space.

Medley also underscores how much capital is flowing into the corridor. The project secured a reported $560 million construction package in November 2024, a scale that points to confidence in Johns Creek’s growth as a town-center market. For shoppers in south Forsyth, that means more reasons to cross the county line for retail, dining and entertainment tied to a larger metro draw.

The soccer momentum is local, too. Johns Creek High School won its first boys soccer state championship on May 13, and Nike is also a founding partner of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayette County, where it will house the Nike Sport Research Lab. Taken together, the retail upgrade, the World Cup calendar and the Medley expansion point to a stronger soccer economy in north metro Atlanta, with Forsyth County positioned within its reach.