Atlanta United today announced it has signed forward Breel Embolo from Stade Rennais to a contract through the 2029-30 season. Embolo will occupy Designated Player and international roster spots pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
“We’re pleased to bring a player with Breel’s combination of talent and experience at the highest levels of world soccer to Atlanta United,” Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson said. “At age 29, he’s coming off a strong performance at the World Cup with Switzerland and has a proven track record of goal contributions in multiple top European leagues. His goal-scoring, ability to link with other players in the attack and tireless work rate are qualities that will strengthen our team from the center forward position.”
The 29-year-old striker has made 380 professional appearances and tallied 100 goals and 66 assists while playing in the top divisions in Switzerland, Germany and France. He’s made 30 appearances in the UEFA Champions League and 27 appearances in the UEFA Europa League, recording four goals and four assists in each competition.
Embolo played for Swiss youth clubs FC Nordstern BS and BSC Old Boys before joining the FC Basel Academy in 2010. At Basel, the forward progressed through the youth system and made his First Team debut in a Europa league Round of 16 match against Salzburg on March 13, 2014 at age 17. He went on to score 31 goals and add 21 assists in 90 appearances over three seasons for Basel in all competitions, helping the club win three consecutive Swiss league titles (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16). Embolo was named Swiss Super League Player of the Year in 2015 after recording 10 goals and seven assists in 26 matches. He added six goals and five assists in five Swiss Cup appearances, leading Basel to the 2015 cup final. He tallied another 10 goals and seven assists in 27 matches the following season before completing a move to FC Schalke 04.
The Switzerland international scored 12 goals and added nine assists in 61 appearances in all competitions with Schalke from 2016 to 2019. He recorded three goals and three assists during the 2017-18 season to help Schalke finish Bundesliga runners-up. In his final season, he scored five goals with four assists in 20 league appearances. In the summer of 2019, Embolo moved to Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach where he recorded a total of 25 goals and 20 assists in 106 appearances in all competitions over three seasons. In his first season, Embolo recorded eight goals and eight assists in 28 league appearances as Mönchengladbach finished fourth and qualified for Champions League the following season. He tallied five goals and six assists in 31 league matches during the 2020-21 season and another nine goals and four assists in 29 matches in 2021-22.
The forward signed with French club AS Monaco in the summer of 2022 and scored double-digit goals in his first season in Ligue 1 with 12 goals and two assists. He missed the majority of the following season recovering from injury but returned to score one goal in five matches as Monaco finished Ligue 1 runners-up. During the 2024-25 season, Embolo tallied six goals and five assists in league play to help Monaco to a third-place finish and added another four goal contributions in 10 Champions League matches as Monaco advanced past the group stage. He transferred to Stade Rennais ahead of the 2025 season where he scored 10 goals with three assists in 34 appearances in all competitions.
At the international level, Embolo has recorded 26 goals and 20 assists in 92 appearances with Switzerland since his debut in 2015. He’s played in three FIFA World Cups, recording a total of four goals and three assists in 14 appearances. Embolo most recently helped lead Switzerland to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup where he started all six matches and recoded two goals and two assists. He was named Switzerland’s Golden Player and Best Young Player in 2015 at the age of 18.
Player Profile
Name: Breel Embolo
Pronunciation: Breel Em-Bo-lo
Position: Forward
Height: 6-0
Birthdate: Feb. 14, 1997 (29)
Birthplace: Yaoundé, Cameroon
Citizenship: Switzerland
Transaction: Atlanta United signs Breel Embolo through the 2029-30 season on Aug. 23, 2026, pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa. Embolo will occupy a Designated Player roster spot.
Atlanta United roster (as of Aug. 23, 2026)
Goalkeepers (2): Jayden Hibbert, Lucas Hoyos
Defenders (10): Júnior Alonso, Elías Báez, Dominik Chong Qui, Paulo Díaz, Matthew Edwards, Stian Gregersen, Ronald Hernández, Tomás Jacob, Enea Mihaj, Kaiden Moore^
Midfielders (11): Miguel Almirón, Steven Alzate, Mauricio Amaro, Jay Fortune, Adrian Gill, Alexey Miranchuk, Tristan Muyumba, Santiago Pita, Will Reilly, Cooper Sanchez, Adyn Torres`
Forwards (7): Luke Brennan, Breel Embolo, Ashton Gordon*, Latte Lath~, Fafa Picault, Sergio Santos, Cayman Togashi
* On loan with Chattanooga FC (through Dec. 31, 2026)
^ On loan with Philadelphia Union (through Dec. 31, 2026)
~ On loan with Union Berlin (through 2026-27 season)
` On loan with FC Nomme United (through Dec. 31, 2026)
