Atlanta United’s incredible inaugural year just keeps getting better, and Monday marked another milestone moment for the club. MLS Commissioner joined Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank to announce the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mayor Reed summed it up succinctly.
“This is a big deal,” he said.
Commissioner Garber called the announcement, which came just a day after the club set the MLS regular season attendance record for the second time this season, the icing on a cake that’s been baking slowly but beautifully for years.
“I can say without any hesitation that the launch of this team is one of the most, if not, in my opinion, the most impressive and successful expansion team launches in professional sports,” commissioner Garber said. “The way this team has captured the hearts and minds of this city and entire region has everyone in sports feeling great about the endless possibilities of what sports can do in a community.”
The annual midsummer showcase will feature the best in MLS hosting one of the top clubs in the world, broadcast live on ESPN and UniMás in the United States, TSN and TVA Sports in Canada, and in more than 170 countries across the globe. It comes as reward for the club’s remarkable first year on and off the pitch, a success that club owner Arthur Blank attributed directly to the fans and people of Atlanta.
“If there’s one group that deserves the biggest round of applause from my heart, my wife’s heart, our family’s heart, from Atlanta’s heart, and the mayor’s heart is the Atlanta fans,” Mr. Blank said. “To set all these records in our first year is a great tribute to this great city, a great tribute to the sport, a tribute to our fans, it creates a great environment that all our players and coaches love playing in. So I want to thank all of Atlanta and all our fans for giving us that kind of success this year. It’s not only on the pitch, it’s off the pitch, it’s in the community, it’s in every sense of the word.”
But Mayor Reed would not let the Blank family, who built this club from its first brick, deflect the well-deserved recognition.
“How lucky we were to have a man like Arthur Blank,” said Mayor Reed, “who looked around the corner and who saw that there was a need, indeed a passion in the city of Atlanta, for this sport that has literally woven our city together in a way that I haven’t seen done before.”
“This is a man of great vision and great leadership, and most importantly he’s a man that believes deeply in this city,” added Commissioner Garber. “So having teams like this, and having All-Star Games like the one that will come here this summer, having this world-class facility is a part of why Arthur really is a man that we’re so proud to have in our family.”
Mr. Blank was quick to give one more message to the fans that have truly made this inaugural season special.
“We’re honored, we will not let you down. We will continue to play hard during the playoffs. We look forward to being a host here in 2018 and fulfilling all the dreams we’ve had in this stadium.”
The date and opponents for the match will be announced at a later date, but past MLS All-Star Games have featured international giants like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chelsea. Sign up at www.MLSSoccer.com/AllStar for information as it becomes available on ticket packages and special events during the 2018 MLS All-Star game presented by Target.
