Copyright Essentially Sports
The current NWSL season is yet to officially conclude despite the end of the regular season, but excitement for the 2026 edition is already palpable. For those unaware, next year will mark the official debut of the league’s 15th and 16th expansion teams, Denver Summit FC and Boston Legacy FC, showcasing just how rapidly the NWSL is growing. But who would have thought the league would expand so quickly that, even before these two teams make their mark, plans for another new soccer club have already been announced? Seems far-fetched, but that is the word around the town spread by people familiar with the matter who spoke with The Athletic on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships. Per the report, Atlanta is touted to get the 17th NWSL expansion slot for a fee of a whopping $165 million. As if that wasn’t enough, sources have also confirmed that the new Atlanta-based women’s soccer team will call the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons’ home ground, the iconic Mercedes-Benz Stadium, its own. Well, that also makes it quite obvious that the new Atlanta women’s club will be owned and operated by Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports + Entertainment, the holding company of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, MLS’ Atlanta United FC, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But to be clear, the NWSL hasn’t given its official word on the same and is yet to confirm with their expected comment. ADVERTISEMENT Then again, the source closer to The Athletic had some words to share. “We have had productive engagement with NWSL and others in its stakeholder group on the possibility of bringing an expansion franchise to Atlanta,” a spokesperson for Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment said. “We have nothing to announce currently as those conversations are ongoing.” (This is a developing story…)
