Move over St. Louis and make way Portland, Atlanta might just be the new Soccer Town, USA.
Soccer cities: St. Louis and Portland
The title “Soccer Town, USA” has long been synonymous with St. Louis, a city where the game’s roots in America run deeper than nearly anywhere else.
St. Louis built its soccer identity more than a century ago through Catholic schools and immigrant neighborhoods that organized leagues decades before Major League Soccer was founded. St. Louis University became a national powerhouse in the mid-20th century, capturing 10 NCAA championships and producing players who shaped the early U.S. game.
SEE ALSO: Atlanta awarded NWSL expansion team to begin play in 2028
Five members of the U.S. team that stunned England in the 1950 World Cup hailed from St. Louis, cementing the city’s place in soccer history. Today, that legacy continues with St. Louis CITY SC, the city’s Major League Soccer franchise, which has drawn record crowds and achieved one of the most successful expansion launches in league history.
While St. Louis remains widely recognized as the original “Soccer Town, USA,” the nickname has found new meaning on the West Coast. In Portland, Oregon, the term “Soccer City, USA” emerged in the 2000s and 2010s as the Timbers and Thorns cultivated one of the most passionate soccer cultures in the country.
Supporter groups like the Timbers Army and Rose City Riveters became internationally known for their elaborate tifos and community activism. Portland embraced both men’s and women’s professional teams long before most U.S. markets followed suit, making it a modern model for soccer fandom.
Atlanta now stands as a new contender for the unofficial title, boasting record-setting attendance through Atlanta United FC, hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, and preparing to welcome an NWSL expansion team.
Still, when the phrase “Soccer Town, USA” appears in print or on air, it most often points back to two places: St. Louis for its heritage, and Portland for its culture. That is until now.
Atlanta: Soccer capital of the USA?
The “city too busy to hate” is definitely not hating on those two cities, except for when the teams are on the pitch. However, it has become very clear over the last decade that soccer is drawing big numbers.
Atlanta United FC’s success
Since joining Major League Soccer in 2017, Atlanta United FC has redefined what professional soccer can look like in the United States. The team won the MLS Cup in 2018, just its second season, making it the fastest expansion team to claim a title since Chicago in 1998. The club later captured both the 2019 Campeones Cup and the U.S. Open Cup, cementing its place among the league’s elite.
Atlanta United’s home matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium routinely draw massive crowds, often rivaling or exceeding NFL and MLB attendance in the same city. The club set a regular-season record of 71,874 fans against Toronto FC in 2017 and followed it with a record 73,019 during the 2018 MLS Cup Final versus Portland. Attendance topped 72,548 again in 2019 against LA Galaxy, and even the 2025 season opener drew more than 65,000, one of the largest soccer crowds in the world that weekend.
The club has led MLS in average attendance every year of its existence, with figures ranging from 43,000 to more than 53,000 fans per game. Atlanta United has also sold over 36,000 season tickets annually and reported a single-season total attendance surpassing 900,000.
Atlanta’s soccer story didn’t start with United. The Atlanta Chiefs, founded in 1967, won the 1968 NASL championship, giving the city its first professional sports title. Later came the Atlanta Apollos in 1973 and the Atlanta Silverbacks, who competed in the USL and NASL through 2015 at Silverbacks Park.
FIFA World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup in Atlanta
Atlanta’s rise as a soccer destination began long before MLS arrived. The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals drew more than 54,000 fans to the Georgia Dome, and a Mexico-Nigeria friendly in 2014 sold out with 68,212, the largest soccer crowd in Georgia since the 1996 Olympics. The 2015 Gold Cup semifinal between the U.S. and Jamaica packed in more than 70,000, proving the city could handle international events on a grand scale.
Next up is the world’s biggest stage. Atlanta will host eight matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including a semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The city is also slated to stage several games in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, featuring top international clubs and superstars like Lionel Messi.
Women’s soccer on the rise
Atlanta’s soccer growth now includes the women’s game. The National Women’s Soccer League recently awarded the city its 17th franchise, set to debut in 2028 under Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank. The expansion team, which will play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, carried a record reported valuation of $165 million, the highest in league history.
Women’s professional soccer has deep roots here. The Atlanta Beat played in the original Women’s United Soccer Association from 2001 to 2003, reaching the championship twice, and later returned in the Women’s Professional Soccer era from 2010 to 2011 at Kennesaw State University’s soccer stadium.
U.S. Soccer Federation training center
Atlanta’s influence on American soccer now extends far beyond its home teams. The U.S. Soccer Federation is building its first-ever National Training Center in metro Atlanta, a $200 million project designed to centralize operations and elevate the country’s development system.
Backed by a $50 million donation from Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank, the 200-acre campus will become the permanent home for all 27 U.S. national teams, including the senior men’s and women’s squads, youth academies, extended teams, and the federation’s national refereeing program.
The facility will feature more than a dozen full-size fields, advanced performance labs, and an estimated 200,000 square feet of indoor high-performance space, including locker rooms, medical and recovery areas, and offices for U.S. Soccer staff and technical operations.
Officials say the project will be one of the most advanced soccer training centers in the world when it opens in 2026, timed to coincide with the FIFA World Cup. It will serve not only as a training hub for national teams but also as a long-term investment in growing the sport at every level.
U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone called the Atlanta complex a “game-changer” that will “inspire generations of players and fans.” Blank has described it as part of his long-term vision to make Atlanta “the heartbeat of soccer in America.”
Terminus Legion, Fottie Mob, and Resurgence
Atlanta’s rise as a soccer city wouldn’t be complete without its passionate supporter base. Three major groups fuel the atmosphere inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Terminus Legion, Footie Mob, and Resurgence.
Together, they lead chants, wave flags, and coordinate massive tifo displays that have become a hallmark of Atlanta United home matches. The supporters are credited with helping create one of the most electric environments in Major League Soccer, turning every game into a citywide celebration of the sport.
NWSL expansion team cements Atlanta’s soccer legacy
At Tuesday’s Empower Her, Inspire All event, city leaders and league officials made it official: Atlanta’s soccer legacy is still just beginning.
Speakers at the celebration said Atlanta’s newest National Women’s Soccer League franchise cements the city’s place at the center of American soccer.
“This is a city that knows how to win,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman, announcing the league’s 17th team. “This is a city that understands passion. You understand how to show up for your team. You have an incredible sports market that knows how to show up week in, week out for your teams. Go Atlanta.”
Berman said Atlanta already offers everything a women’s club needs to succeed: ownership, market, and infrastructure. “You have some of the best ownership in professional sports in the Blank family. You have top-notch facilities in Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” she said. “And this ownership group is going to build a first-class, purpose-built training facility for the best women soccer players in the world.”
Arthur Blank, owner of the Falcons and Atlanta United FC, said the city has become “the epicenter of soccer in this country.”
“If there was any doubt before, I believe we can confidently say now that Atlanta is the epicenter of soccer in this country,” Blank told the crowd. “From the incredible success of Atlanta United, to the U.S. Soccer Federation’s move here, to our role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, which will be here shortly, including the semifinal match. These milestones reflect the passion and dedication of our community that makes Atlanta a global soccer destination.”
Blank said the new women’s team will continue that momentum. “We’re joining a big league,” he said. “And right here in Georgia, the participation of women’s soccer is already high and growing with hundreds of schools, dozens of clubs, and countless young players continuing and committing to play. This tells us it’s the right place and the right time.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the announcement proves the city’s investment in soccer has paid off. “The moves that Arthur Blank and his team have made to make Atlanta the epicenter of soccer in this country really represent a commitment to this entire region’s future,” Dickens said. “Atlanta United has helped change soccer culture across the country, consistently setting the MLS attendance records and becoming one of the strongest brands in the whole sport.”
He added, “Metro Atlanta will soon be home to the U.S. National Training Center and a world-class training complex. And of course, you know Atlanta is set to host eight FIFA World Cup matches next year, including one of the semifinals. Now this new franchise helps fill out Atlanta’s soccer picture.”
U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, who once played for the Atlanta Beat, said the new team is coming to the perfect place. “I know this is a soccer city and the new Atlanta NWSL team will thrive here,” she said. “Arthur, your belief and bold vision for soccer in Atlanta have taken the sport to new heights. This new NWSL team will lead the way and continue to inspire the next generation. The women’s game in this city will be better because of it, and better because of you.”
Future of soccer in Atlanta
So, what’s next on the horizon for soccer in Atlanta?
Atlanta United has rehired Gerardo “Tata” Martino as head coach on a two-year deal, signaling a new rebuilding phase for one of Major League Soccer’s highest-drawing clubs. Martino, who led the team to its 2018 MLS Cup title, returns to a roster looking to regain its championship form after missing the 2025 postseason. The club will open its 2026 campaign at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where attendance regularly tops 45,000 fans per match.
Atlanta’s newest professional team will debut in 2028 as the National Women’s Soccer League’s 17th franchise, playing home matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium under the ownership of Arthur Blank. Team officials are expected to announce a name, brand, and coaching staff in the next year as construction begins on a dedicated training facility ahead of the inaugural season.
Work continues on the 200-acre U.S. Soccer National Training Center in metro Atlanta and is set to open in 2026. The complex will serve as headquarters for all 27 U.S. national teams, including senior men’s and women’s squads, youth programs, and referee development. Federation leaders describe it as a “game-changer” for American player development and a cornerstone of Atlanta’s growing role in the sport.
Atlanta will take the global stage during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosting eight matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including a semifinal on July 15, 2026. Group-stage fixtures are scheduled for June 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27, followed by knockout-round games on July 1 and 7. Organizers say the tournament will showcase Atlanta’s transformation into one of the world’s most vibrant soccer cities.
