Wanting to embrace history while also looking forward, Atlanta United unveiled its new primary kit, nicknamed “The Connector,” on Thursday night at private event at the same site near Centennial Olympic Park where the franchise was launched in 2014.
The new kit, two years in the design and production, looks purposefully similar to the team’s first kit. The jersey features five alternating stripes, three red and two black, with black shoulder panels and red stripes. The first kit featured red shoulder panels with gold stripes, and three black stripes alternating with two red ones. The new kit’s shorts also are black, but feature a singular red curved stripe with gold piping on either side, instead of three gold stripes. The socks are black. The back of the new kit is black with gold letters and numbers and gold piping in an arc near the bottom. The team is calling the gold piping “unifying thread.”
Credit: Brandon Magnus/Atlanta United
Credit: Brandon Magnus/Atlanta United
The name is supposed to represent the bonding that supporters feel when wearing the kit, as well as a pun on the nickname of the merge of Interstates 75 and 85 downtown, known as the “Downtown Connector.”
The kit will be worn at matches for the next two years. Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are scheduled to host six matches in the Club World Cup this summer, and eight matches in next year’s World Cup. There will be a lot of attention on the sport in the city.
“When you start thinking about the city of Atlanta and weaving into the fabric of it, and you think about the jersey being such a connective symbol, and then also understanding that subtle nod to what the connectors are within Atlanta, it all weaved together perfectly,” said Sarah Kate Noftsinger, Atlanta United Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer.
The jersey is scheduled to go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday. The custom authentic kit will retail for $184.98, the authentic will retail for $159.99, the custom replica kit will retail for $124.99 and the replica kit will retail for $99.99.
There are small honorifics on the jersey. Atlanta United is written on the back of the neck of the jersey. On the front, toward the bottom left, is a tag featuring Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the roof open.
“We want to be the epicenter of soccer North America,” Noftsinger said. “Our home venue, our fortress, is going to be on the world stage.”
The new kit isn’t the only “go-back-to-go-forward” steps the franchise taking. It’s also adding more grassroots, focused marketing events for its supporters, similar to what it did while building its brand before the inaugural 2017 season.
“We’re taking a much more thoughtful approach on how we can connect with the diversity found within the city, and so that we can strengthen those relationships,” Noftsinger said.
That approach started Thursday with the event at Ventana’s to launch the kit that featured a question-and-answer session with new Sporting Director Chris Henderson, and players Brad Guzan, Mateusz Klich and Miguel Almiron. Jay Fortune modeled the jersey.
The efforts continue Friday with the kit being sold. Saturday there will be a block party at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark. On Monday, there will be a screening of its documentary “Rooted in the Stripes,” at Tara Theater. That event isn’t open to the public. On Tuesday, there is a scheduled meet and greet at the team’s store at Atlantic Station that should feature Almiron, Alexey Miranchuk and Emmanuel Latte Lath, the team’s three Designated Players.
There are more events scheduled. Noftsinger said she didn’t want to give away any more surprises.
“One of the themes that you’re going to see throughout 2025 is showcasing and rewarding behaviors, and showing appreciation as well,” she said. “How can we create more curated experiences for founding members, for season-ticket holders, for those people that are as bought in as they can be, and reward them for their commitment to us, and reward them for that loyalty?”
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Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule
Feb. 22 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
March 1 at Charlotte, 2 p.m., Apple, Fox
March 8 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
March 16 vs. Miami, 7 p.m., Apple
March 22 at Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m., Apple
March 29 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 5 vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 12 vs. New England, 2:30 p.m., Apple, FOX
April 19 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 26 at Orlando, 7 p.m., Apple, FOX
May 3 vs. Nashville, 2:30 p.m., Apple, FOX
May 10 at Chicago, 2:30 p.m., Apple
May 14 at Austin, 8:30 p.m., Apple
May 17 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 25 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Apple
May 28 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 31 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 12 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 25 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 28 at Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 5 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 16 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple, FS1
July 19 vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 26 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 30 vs. Necaxa, Leagues Cup
Aug. 2. vs. Pumas in Orlando, Leagues Cup
Aug. 6 vs. Atlas, Leagues Cup
Aug. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 16 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 24 vs. Toronto, 5 p.m., Apple
Aug. 30 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Apple
Sept. 13 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 4:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 27 at New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 5 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 18 vs. D.C. United, 6 p.m., Apple
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