ATLANTA, Ga. -- Some Atlantans are dreaming big, again -- emulating those who brought the Olympics to Atlanta in 1996.

What they have on their minds now is the phenomenon, every four years, that grips entire nations, practically shutting them down for two weeks, as hundreds of millions of soccer fans, worldwide, immerse themselves in the singular obsession called the World Cup.

The Atlanta dreamers are imagining the World Cup -- in Atlanta.

"We want to host the World Cup, if the United States gets the opportunity."

That's Gary Stokan. Stokan is president of the Atlanta Sports Council.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle is reporting in its May 8, 2009 edition that the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Georgia World Congress Center and others are going to try to bring the World Cup to Atlanta, and reap the economic benefits, at the next opportunity -- possibly in 2018, a short nine years from now.

"It's larger than the Olympics," Stokan told 11Alive News Thursday. "It's probably about four times the economic impact of the Super Bowl, which is our largest sporting event in the United States. So you're talking about $1.5 billion of economic impact for a World Cup."

But does the U.S., and specifically Atlanta, have a shot?

Stokan said 68 U.S. cities, in all, have recently told the U.S. Soccer Federation they want the World Cup.

"Big-time competition," he said.

Stokan talks of how the World Cup governing body is taking notice that soccer is bigger than ever in the U.S., professionally, and in youth leagues and schools.

Including in Atlanta.

Much bigger than in 1994, Stokan said, when the World Cup organization told the U.S. that soccer needs to grow here before the U.S. could host a World Cup.

"And so I think they'll look at the United States in a different light [now]," he said, with a greater base of support that hosting the World Cup would expand even more.

At the state high school men's semi-finals at Marist Thursday evening, players who, in 2018, may be pros, or soccer parents -- or both -- like the idea.

"It would bring a lot of attention to the sport, in general," said 18 year old Kristen Meier, herself a soccer player. "In Atlanta, there are tons of kids, young kids and all the way up through college, who love to play soccer. And just having it here would really bring a lot of attention. It would be great."

"Just because, if it's in the United States at all," said another soccer player, 18 year old Laura Eddy, "it's going to bring attention to U. S. soccer. Hopefully a lot of people will get to go and appreciate it. And Atlanta's a great city to have it."

Another soccer player, 15 year old Marek Moffett, said he is skeptical of Atlanta's chances.

"I think it would be fantastic, personally," he said, "but I don't think it's very likely because I don't think we have the facilities."

Gary Stokan said the Georgia Dome -- or whatever may take its place by 2018 -- or Sanford Stadium in Athens would do just fine.

"I think for Atlanta, this would be one of the diamonds in the crown, for what we've hosted, from the sporting side. Going from the Olympics, the Super Bowls, to the Final Fours, to All Star games, this will have as much or more economic impact as the Olympics did in 1996. And from a global perspective, it will certainly elevate Atlanta as an international city once again. And we just hope we have the opportunity, because Atlanta was made to host mega sporting events."

We won't know before 2011 whether the 2018 FIFA World Cup, or the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will come to the United States.

If it does, then some time later we'll know if Atlanta will be one of a dozen U. S. cities to host it.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle contributed to this report.

The FIFI World Cup website:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html