February was the official start of the regular season for the 5-Stripes. Before a marathon of a season ahead, let's recap the eventful beginning of the 2024 season.
A party to ring in the new season
Coinciding with the beginning of the regular season was the Atlanta United Block Party held to kick off the season with a bang. Hosted at SweetWater Brewing Company, the Atlanta United faithful came out to support the club in their away match against Columbus Crew.
Regular Season Opener
Though the days till the home opener for the 2024 season are still ticking down, the regular season started on the road for Atlanta United. On February 24, the club went to Columbus to take on the defending MLS Cup champions. Atlanta United went onto have an early bye week and was off the following weekend. They return to the pitch for the home opener against the New England Revolution on Saturday, March 9.
Resurgens Kit
Atlanta United launched their new community kit, which they will wear in 2024. Created in the image of a rising phoenix and inspired by the city of Atlanta, the Resurgens kit is all about resilience and growth.
The launch of the kit was celebrated with a launch party at Pullman Yards where 17s could learn the details behind the design and purchase the kit.
Get a Resurgens kit of your own here.
Celebrating Black Excellence
The 5-Stripes released a new scarf to honor Black History Month that says ‘Black History is Atlanta History'. Along with the scarf, a collaboration with Footie Mob detailed not only the importance of growing and diversifying Atlanta's soccer fan base, but also how Black culture and American culture are intertwined.
New Faces and Next Level Milestones
A busy offseason brought new faces to the 2024 roster and several saw their first game time action with the club. Bartosz Slisz, Stian Gregersen, Dax McCarty, Josh Cohen, and Derrick Williams are all new players signed for the coming season.
Moving to a new city and adjusting to a new team can be a learning curve. For 17s to get to know the players and to break the ice, we have asked our new faces 17 questions:
As for the familiar faces on the team, both Brooks Lennon and Thiago Almada reached new heights in February. In the first match of the season, Lennon made his 200th MLS regular season appearance. He has played 114 of those matches in an Atlanta United uniform.
Almada, off a strong showing at the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic tournament to help Argentina qualify for the Olympics, won the Transfermarkt MLS Player of the Season. He can add this accomplishment to a resume that includes The 2023 MLS Young Player of the Year.
Paulo Neto bags another win
Atlanta United's profesional gamer Paulo Neto comes out on top again. On Sunday, Feb. 28, Neto won his fourth eMLS title, becoming the first person in league history to do so. A total of 22 gamers participated in the TikTok-presented competition. It lasted three days with Neto winning 18 total games to secure the victory.
More soccer comes to Atlanta
During a television special held in early February, it was officially announced that Atlanta would host eight FIFA World Cup matches in 2026. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the home for five matches in the Group Stage, starting Monday, June 15, 2026.
Match 14 | Monday, June 15 |
Match 25 | Thursday, June 18 |
Match 38 | Sunday, June 21 |
Match 50 | Wednesday, June 24 |
Match 72 | Saturday, June 27 |
Atlanta United 2 follow suit
Atlanta United 2 announced their regular season schedule. Their preseason is already underway, with one friendly against Chattanooga Red Wolves in the books. They will kick off their second season in MLS Next Pro at home against Orlando City B on March 16.
Back to our roots
The Atlanta United content team brings back its documentary series called 'Rooted In The Stripes.' The first episode recaps the ending of the 2023 season, and the expectations the club is setting for 2024. The documentary includes new faces Josh Cohen, Bartosz Slisz, and Dax McCarty, but also words of encouragement from mainstays like Giorgos Giakoumakis.
