On Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced that one of its new expansion teams will be heading south to the city of Atlanta in a record-breaking expansion fee of 165 million dollars. This is officially the 17th franchise in the league, which features some of the best female players in the world, including Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Barbra Banda.
The club is set to begin playing in 2028 and will be owned and operated by Arthur Blank and AMB Sports and Entertainment. For Blank, this will now be the 4th team in his sports portfolio, as he already owns the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and the Atlanta Drive Golf Club.
It is evident that Arthur Blank and AMBSE are committed to the biggest sport in the world and what it can do for the city of Atlanta. Over the past decade, metro Atlanta has proved itself as a powerhouse of soccer in the United States.
The city is now home to a Major League Soccer team (Atlanta United) and an MLS NEXT Pro side (Atlanta United 2). On top of that, Blank now has the rights to the U.S. Soccer National Training Center and headquarters.
During this period, Atlanta has hosted and celebrated major soccer milestones, including winning the 2018 MLS Cup, hosting the 2018 MLS All-Star Game, the opening match of the 2024 Copa América featuring Argentina and Lionel Messi, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
In 2026, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will take center stage again as a host site for eight World Cup matches, including a semifinal. The city’s growth and enthusiasm for soccer have made Atlanta an unrivaled hub for the sport in America.
Ultimately, the arrival of an NWSL team in Atlanta is a big deal for the growing popularity of women’s sports. Currently, women’s sports are drawing in more fans, getting big media attention, and getting serious investments. For girls in Georgia, watching top-level athletes compete right in their own city helps them imagine new possibilities for themselves. It opens up opportunities that weren’t there just a few years ago.
Having a professional women’s team in Atlanta isn’t just another addition to the city’s sports scene, it brings more attention to women’s sports, questions old ideas about who leads sports culture, and supports a movement that’s putting women’s athletic achievements in the spotlight.
