 | |||
| Full name | Atlanta United Football Club[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Five Stripes | ||
| Short name | ATL UTD | ||
| Founded | April 16, 2014 | ||
| Stadium | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 42,500 (expandable to 71,000, standing room to at least 73,019)[2] | ||
| Investor-operator[a] | Arthur Blank | ||
| President | Garth Lagerwey | ||
| Head coach | Rob Valentino (interim) | ||
| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2024 | Eastern Conference: 9th Overall: 19th Playoffs: TBD | ||
| Website | atlutd.com | ||
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Atlanta United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference.
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began play as an MLS expansion team in 2017, as the twenty-second team in the league. It is the first MLS franchise to be based in Atlanta, and the club plays home games at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they share with the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise, the Atlanta Falcons. The club is operated by Arthur Blank, owner of the Falcons and co-founder of The Home Depot. The club also owns Atlanta United 2, a reserve team that competes in MLS Next Pro.
Gerardo Martino was appointed as the club's first head coach and guided Atlanta to their first playoff appearance in the team's debut season, before securing the team's first trophy in just their second season by winning MLS Cup 2018.
Atlanta has set several league records for highest single-match and average attendance. In 2024, Forbes estimated the club was the second most valuable in the league, worth approximately $900 million.[4]
- ^ "Blank officially announces name as Atlanta United Football Club". Atlanta United FC. July 8, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Roberson, Doug (December 9, 2018). "Atlanta United sets MLS Cup attendance record". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- ^ Fraser v. Major League Soccer, 01 F.3d 1296 (US 1st Cir. March 20, 2002).
- ^ "Atlanta United FC on the Forbes Soccer Team Valuations List". Forbes. July 24, 2024. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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