Was The Atlanta United Game A Record-Breaker This Weekend?

Hosting an attendance of more than 40,000 fans, Atlanta United may have broken a world record.

The team took on CF Montreal — and won — on Saturday night (May 15). They say the attendance is the largest for any soccer match in the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began, WSB-TV reports:

“It’s beautiful to see so many people in the stadium. It’s been a long time without seeing this. And football is for people. I’m very happy because for the players, they gave everything to get this win,” head coach Gabriel Henize said.

It was not immediately clear whether the soccer-match crowd smashed a record, however.

In late April, officials announced that Mercedes-Benz Stadium would return to 100% capacity on May 15, though health and safety measures would remain in place.

“We are excited to bring our fans back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” Steve Cannon, CEO, AMB Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement at the time. “Given the increased opportunity for Georgians to be vaccinated, the abundant health protocols we have in place at the stadium and the interest from our season ticket members, we felt that now is the right time to re-open the stadium in full capacity allowing all our season ticket members a chance to enjoy watching their teams in person. We will continue to follow the necessary precautions to give fans a safe and clean environment.”

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