Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta. The club plays in Major League Soccer in the Eastern Conference. They have won one MLS Cup, one U.S. Open Cup, one Eastern Conference championship, and one Campeones Cup.

The club started in 2014 and joined MLS as an expansion team in 2017, becoming the league's 22nd team. It is the first MLS team based in Atlanta and plays home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which it shares with the city's National Football League team, the Atlanta Falcons. The club is owned by Arthur Blank, who also owns the Falcons and co-founded the Home Depot. Atlanta United has a reserve team called Atlanta United 2 that plays in MLS Next Pro.

Gerardo Martino was the club's first head coach and helped the team reach the playoff in its first season. He led the team to win the MLS Cup 2018 in just their second season. After some harder seasons with other coaches, Martino returned to coach the team again in 2026.

Atlanta United has set records for the most fans in a single game and the highest average attendance each season. In 2026, Forbes estimated the club was the fourth most valuable in MLS, worth about $1 billion.

History

Initial expansion proposals

When the team was announced, Atlanta was the biggest city without a Major League Soccer team. The owner of the Atlanta Falcons tried to get a new team in 2008 but stopped because of money problems. Talks kept going, and in 2010, after the Atlanta Thrashers hockey team left, efforts to bring soccer to Atlanta started again.

MLS expansion bid

In 2011, after the Thrashers left, talks got stronger. By 2012, with plans for a new stadium, Atlanta was seen as a good spot for an MLS team. In 2013, the city agreed to help pay for the stadium land, and in 2014, Atlanta was given an expansion team, set to start playing in 2017.

Inaugural season and first championship (2017–2018)

Atlanta’s first game was in March 2017, and they quickly became a top team. In their second season, they won the MLS Cup in 2018, giving Atlanta its first big sports title since 1995.

De Boer era (2019–2020)

After winning the MLS Cup, the coach left, and Frank de Boer took over. He led the team to some wins but was let go in 2020 after a poor performance in a special tournament.

Decline and subsequent rebuild (2021–2025)

From 2021 to 2025, the team went through many changes, with several coaches leaving and new players joining. They had some good moments but also struggled, finishing near the bottom of the league in 2025.

Return of Tata Martino (2026–present)

In November 2025, the popular coach Tata Martino returned to lead the team again. The club made changes to the team, letting some players go and bringing in new ones.

Colors and badge

Arthur Blank said fans would help pick the team's name, logo, and colors. The team uses red, black, and gold. These are the same colors the Falcons used when they started in 1966.

On June 25, 2015, Sports Illustrated said the new team would be called Atlanta United FC. The name became official on July 7. The team's president, Darren Eales, said the name came from a fan survey. He also said the team's logo would be shown that same day.

The team's name, logo, and colors were shown on July 7, 2015. The logo has a circle like the city's seal, with a big "A" in the middle. There are five black and red stripes behind the "A." These stripes stand for unity, determination, community, excellence, and innovation. The team's colors are black for strength, red for pride, and gold for excellence. Fans often call the team "The Five Stripes" because of the stripes on their first home shirts.

In February 2019, after winning their first MLS championship, Atlanta showed a new shirt for the next season. This shirt, called "Star and Stripes," was made by Adidas. It has nine thin stripes instead of five thick ones, red socks instead of black, and a gold star above the team's logo.

In February 2021, Atlanta United showed a new all-black shirt for the 2021 season, called the "BLVCK" kit.

Symbols

Kits

Sponsorship

On July 12, 2016, the team said that American Family Insurance would be the main sponsor on their shirts. On February 4, 2020, the team announced a partnership with Piedmont Healthcare. They became the sleeve sponsor for the first team and the main sponsor for the reserve team. Later, the team added Truist and NAPA as sponsors. On March 23, 2021, the team announced AT&T as its new sleeve sponsor.

Development system

Reserve team

Main article: Atlanta United 2

In 2017, Atlanta United made a second team to help young players join the main team. This team, Atlanta United 2, played in a lower league called the United Soccer League and later joined MLS Next Pro in 2023.

Youth academy

Atlanta United has a program for young players called a youth academy. It started in 2016 and has teams for players aged 12 to 19. Kids can join for free, and some may play for the main team. The academy also finds good players from local clubs and gives extra training for younger kids in the area.

Stadium and team facilities

Home stadiums

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Capacity and atmosphere

Atlanta United FC shares Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. The team sometimes closes the top part of the stadium to make soccer games more exciting. Most games can hold 42,500 fans. With the top part open, the stadium can fit up to 71,000 people. The stadium has special seats that move to give the soccer field more space and better views.

Construction delays

The stadium opened in June 2017, later than planned because of problems with its roof. The team’s first game in the stadium was on September 10, 2017, against FC Dallas.

Training facilities and team headquarters

In 2015, Atlanta United announced plans for training areas and offices but had to change locations. In 2017, they opened a new $60 million training center called the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta. The center has rooms for players, a dining area, and places for fitness and recovery. It also has six outdoor fields for practice, one with seats for 2,500 fans.

Bobby Dodd Stadium

Atlanta United played early games in the 2017 MLS season at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium while waiting for Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be ready. The team did not play any home games from March 19 to April 29 to avoid conflicts with Georgia Tech's football practices. The Georgia Dome was not used because it would have delayed Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s completion.

Club culture

Atlanta United FC has fun traditions and many fans. The team has rivalries with other clubs, especially Orlando City SC, and also with Nashville SC, Charlotte FC, and Inter Miami.

The team has many fan groups, including Terminus Legion, Footie Mob, and All Stripes. These groups help make games fun and exciting. Fans are called the "17s" after the year the club started, and they show their support in many creative ways.

Atlanta United has set records for fan attendance. In 2017, they broke the record for the most fans at a single game, and they kept breaking this record in later years. Their average attendance is often higher than many famous clubs around the world.

During home games, Atlanta United has a special tradition called the Golden Spike. Before games, players and fans sign a large golden spike, which is then brought into the stadium and tapped into a platform. This celebrates the city's history with railroads and brings the team and fans together.

Ownership and management

Atlanta United FC is mainly owned by Arthur Blank, who helped start Home Depot. The team is part of AMB Sports & Entertainment. This group also owns the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Players

Roster

As of March 2, 2026

Note: Flags show which country's team a player can play for, based on special rules. Players might belong to more than one country.

Out on loan

Note: Flags show which country's team a player can play for, based on special rules. Players might belong to more than one country.

Reserved numbers

See also: Retired numbers in association football and List of Atlanta United FC players

In 2017, Atlanta United said that the number 17 would be special for the fans. This number remembers the year the team started playing. The team wanted to show how important the fans, the city, and everyone is to the club.

Notable players

• Josef Martinez
• Brad Guzan
• Miguel Almiron
• Thiago Almada
• Esequiel Barco
• Miles Robinson
• Anton Walkes
• Leandro Gonzalez Pirez
• Hector Villalba
• Pity Martinez
• Luiz Araújo
• Darlington Nagbe
• Julian Gressel
• Jeff Larentowicz
• Michael Parkhurst

Broadcasting

Atlanta United FC's games were shown on different channels. Most games were on Bally Sports South or Bally Sports Southeast. Some games were on WUPA if there were too many games at once. Starting in 2023, all games moved to Apple TV+. Some games were also on WAGA.

Kevin Egan was the main announcer from 2017 to 2022 and then came back in 2024. Maurice Edu gave comments starting in 2021. You could also listen to games on the radio at WZGC/92.9 The Game. Mike Conti and Jason Longshore were the radio commentators.

Staff

Coaching staff

The coaching staff helps guide the team. They work with players to improve skills and strategies.

Club Executives

Club executives make important decisions for the team. They handle things like finances and planning for the future.

Honors

Atlanta United FC has won several important soccer games. They won the MLS Cup in 2018, the U.S. Open Cup in 2019, and the Eastern Conference (Playoff) championship in 2018.

They also won the Campeones Cup in 2019.

Records

Main article: List of Atlanta United FC records and statistics

Seasons

Main article: List of Atlanta United FC seasons

Here is a list of some seasons Atlanta United FC has played. For the complete history, see List of Atlanta United FC seasons.

International competitions

Player Appearances

As of February 14, 2026

USOC = U.S. Open Cup; INTL = CONCACAF Champions League, Campeones Cup, Leagues Cup
Bolded players are currently on the Atlanta United FC roster.

Goals

_As of February 14, 2026