Arthur Blank officially announces Atlanta NWSL team

A new National Women’s Soccer League team based in Atlanta has been made official by Arthur Blank and AMBSE at a star-studded event in Midtown. The announcement marks the 17th club to join the NWSL ranks, and at a time when the beautiful game is already growing massively in Atlanta. U.S. Soccer’s new headquarters will be opening in a few months, SheBelieves Cup had a wonderful turnout at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2024, and the World Cup will be arriving in June. As such, the missing piece in the modern era of Atlanta soccer was a professional women’s club, especially in a time when the women’s game is surging in popularity across the entire world. That wait is finally over!

Like prior efforts in the realm of Atlanta pro soccer with the Atlanta Silverbacks, Ruckus, Chiefs, Beat (and others) – a history which spans almost 50 years – a consistent women’s team has struggled to stay afloat. However, chalk that inconsistency up more to the organizations and leagues of which they were a small portion than how the fans have accepted these teams over the years. Atlanta’s footy fans have always attended well, regardless of the longevity of a particular league or iteration of a club. Now, with the backing of Arthur Blank and an NWSL league that is growing annually, this announcement feels wonderfully similar to the announcement of what would become Atlanta United back in 2014.

I’ll be live updating this article throughout the evening!

What we know/events

• Purpose built facility for the women’s team to be built
• 2028 kickoff
• Will have updates to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to accommodate and empower the women’s team.
• The club will be built from the ground up but with lessons learned from Atlanta United. Lots of hiring going on to expand and to bring in talent specific for the women’s game.
• NWSL will work with Atlanta to further research for women’s health in sports, pointed to lack of data behind athletes who have children and then return to play, and AMBSE will assist with advancing that field.
• We’ll see additions to the community aspects with even more focus on women’s sports.
• Blank noted that the fans will be “heavily involved” in the naming of the club.

Arthur Blank made it very clear that over the next three years they’ll be working to bring in top women’s talent, while shooting to have another phenomenal launch when the team actually takes the pitch. As expected, the facilities will be touted as top notch and specific to female athletes, and not simply a replica of what Atlanta United has at their disposal. Doug Robertson of the AJC noted that a total of $330 million will go into starting up this franchise, including the $165 million franchise fee.

We’ll surely learn more in the coming weeks and months, but for now, professional women’s footy is officially coming back to Atlanta!

Jump into the comments below and let us know what you think of the event and news!