Atlanta City FC is Atlanta’s incoming National Women’s Soccer League expansion club, set to begin play in 2028. It is owned by Arthur M. Blank through AMB Sports and Entertainment, the same group that operates the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. The franchise was awarded in November 2025 for a then-record $165 million expansion fee and will share Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Atlanta United, using a lower-bowl configuration of about 28,000 seats.
Atlanta City FC: What To Know
The name, crest, and colors were unveiled on September 28, 2026, after a months-long process that included fan and community input. A public launch party is scheduled for October 4.
Brand and identity
The club’s official identity centers on Atlanta’s history of resilience and community. The circular crest features a phoenix—the city’s longtime symbol of rising after the Civil War—with an “A” formed in the bird’s shape. It is surrounded by a four-petaled dogwood blossom (representing unity and community) and grounded by roots (honoring history and foundations).
Primary colors are Atlanta Red (a lighter shade than those used by the Falcons and Atlanta United, creating a family connection without identical branding), Georgia Peach, Platinum Metallic, and Black Char. Officials described the palette as linking the team to the city’s sports heritage, hospitality, business and cultural leadership, and perseverance. The short wordmark is “ATL CTY.” The club has said it will not use “ACFC” to avoid overlapping Angel City FC’s branding.
Chief Business Officer Deandra Duggans emphasized that the name and look were chosen to stand independently from Atlanta United while still belonging to the same city and ownership family. “We wanted to make sure that this club stood independent,” she said. Arthur Blank framed the project as a club “built for the entire city.”
Facilities and operations
Home matches will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Training and headquarters will be at a dedicated complex on a 33-acre site at 1033 Franklin Gateway in Marietta, near Atlanta United’s Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground. Plans include an approximately 38,000-square-foot building, four full-size fields, and two half-pitches. The project, valued at more than $100 million, broke ground in April 2026 and is part of a larger AMBSE investment along the Franklin Gateway corridor. Completion is targeted before the 2028 season.
Aflac was announced in early 2026 as a front-of-kit sponsor in a multi-year deal described as one of the larger jersey partnerships in women’s sports. Leadership appointments have included Duggans as chief business officer and Keith McCloat as CFO.
Context in Atlanta soccer
Atlanta has been a strong soccer market since Atlanta United’s 2017 MLS debut, which produced rapid on-field success, record attendances, and an MLS Cup in 2018. The city is also home to the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center. Adding an NWSL club in 2028—alongside another expansion team in Columbus that will bring the league to 18 teams—extends that investment into the women’s professional game.
A separate amateur/semi-pro side also using the Atlanta City FC name has competed in the UPSL Georgia Premier Division. That club is distinct from the NWSL franchise.
The professional Atlanta City FC is still more than a year from its first roster and match. Its early public work has focused on brand, facilities, founding-member deposits, and positioning itself as a city-wide club rather than an extension of the existing men’s team. Whether that approach translates into on-field competitiveness and sustained local support will be the story of 2028 and beyond.