MLS Season Resumes for Atlanta United in August

As large crowds marched into Mercedes-Benz Stadium for FIFA World Cup matches this summer, one can easily forget that this is the home of the Atlanta United Football Club. Major League Soccer (MLS), like professional soccer leagues across the world, is on hiatus for the duration of the world’s most important soccer tournament. 

Fan bases for national teams from Argentina, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Haiti, DR Congo, Morocco, and Spain displayed their country’s colors for all of Atlanta to see. The 2026 World Cup experience has been indoors and outdoors. Whether inside The Benz, where regular attendance during the tournament was over 68,000, or outside in Centennial Olympic Park, where the free event was so well attended that every day has been sold out. 

One day soon, the MLS season will begin again, and the Five Stripes (3-2-9 this season) will return to The Benz. The question is whether the large and boisterous crowds will follow? No one can honestly answer that question. We’ll have to wait and see.

Until they return home on Saturday, August 15, against the New York Red Bulls, Atlanta United will play four road games. Trips to play southern rivals and a pair of games on the East Coast will test the mettle of a team that is currently 3-29 overall and playing some of the worst soccer in MLS. 

Atlanta United returned to on-field action on Thursday morning for a friendly with Sporting KC at the Children’s Healthcare Training Ground in Marietta. They will return to games that count on Friday, July 17, in Nashville against Nashville SC (10-3-1 overall). Atlanta United has an opportunity to improve its all-time record at Geodis Park, which currently stands at 3-3-3. 

Next, Atlanta United will travel up I-85 to play Charlotte FC (6-3-6) and United States Men’s National Team captain Tim Ream on Wednesday, July 22. The Five Stripes are 3-2 all-time at Bank of America Stadium. 

There’s no rest for the weary as Atlanta United returns to action three days later on Saturday, July 25, in New England. The Five Stripes faced New England earlier this season on April 22 and lost 2-1. Despite the loss, Atlanta United manager Tata Martino was positive about what he saw that night.

“We controlled the game, created five of six chances, we scored, so we had the lead and didn’t have to chase the game,” Atlanta United manager Tata Martino said.

The following Saturday, Atlanta United will be back on the East Coast, this time in Chester, Pennsylvania, to play the Philadelphia Union. The teams met in Atlanta on March 14, with Atlanta United winning 3-1 in a match that could be described as their best overall effort this season. Emmanuel Latte Lath, Tomas Jacob, and Alexey Miranchuk each scored a goal during that match. 

Attendance for that match was 35,308, nearly half the number of fans who made their way into Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch what will go down as one of the most exciting World Cup matches of all time between reigning champion Argentina and Egypt on Tuesday, July 7. There will undoubtedly be 70,000 people in the building for the semifinals on Wednesday, July 15. Maybe some of these good vibes and soccer connectivity will trickle back into The Benz by the time Atlanta United returns home in August. 

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