Atlanta United: The Five Stripes Story

An instant hit

Atlanta United was announced on April 16, 2014, and joined MLS as its 22nd club, owned by Arthur Blank, who also owns the Falcons. The team played its first match on March 5, 2017, in front of 55,297 fans at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium. They lost 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls, but Yamil Asad scored the first goal in club history and the city was hooked.

Under head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino, the Five Stripes played fast, attacking soccer and reached the playoffs in their debut season, only the third expansion team to do so. Later that year they moved into the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium downtown.

Champions in 2018

The 2018 season was close to perfect. Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez scored 31 league goals, breaking the MLS single-season record, and swept the league MVP, Golden Boot, All-Star Game MVP and MLS Cup MVP awards. Martino was named Coach of the Year.

On December 8, 2018, Atlanta beat the Portland Timbers 2-0 to lift MLS Cup at home. The crowd of 73,019 was the largest in MLS history at the time and remains the club's attendance record. That year Atlanta averaged 53,002 fans per league match, the first MLS team ever to top 50,000, and those packed afternoons became a model for soccer crowds across the country.

More trophies in 2019

Under new coach Frank de Boer, Atlanta kept collecting silverware. On August 27, 2019, they beat Minnesota United 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Pity Martinez scoring the winner and the team holding on with ten men. The club also won the 2019 Campeones Cup, beating Mexico's Club America 3-2.

Big crowds kept coming. A 2019 match drew 72,548, and the red and black supporter sections behind the goals became famous for giant tifos and nonstop singing.

Rebuilding with a familiar face

Recent seasons have been much tougher. In 2025 Atlanta won just five of 34 league matches and finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, the worst season in club history. In November 2025 the club brought back Tata Martino, the coach who delivered the 2018 title, on a deal through 2027.

The 2026 campaign has been a slow climb. Atlanta added midfielder Aleksei Miranchuk and forward Breel Embolo alongside Miguel Almiron, reached the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, and spent much of the summer on the road while Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup. Through late September the team had 27 points from 27 league games, still near the bottom of the East.

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