Two weeks ago, Atlanta United broke the record for highest attendance through the first three home games. 147,230 fans attended the first three games, crushing the previous record of 130,073, which was set during LA Galaxy’s inaugural season in 1996. After announcing a fourth straight sellout on Tuesday, people are beginning to wonder – Is Atlanta United the Most Popular Team in MLS History? Social Media says yes.
Before Atlanta United, the Seattle Sounders held the record for most followers among MLS teams with a little over 400,000. However, when the Five Stripes came into the picture (@ATLUTD), they quickly climbed the ladder. Today, Atlanta United’s twitter has roughly 506,500 followers, over 100,000 more than the Sounders, who have about 404.5k, respectively. But wait, there’s more! The average MLS team has a twitter following of 236,600. While I’m no mathematician, this stat blew my mind, as Atlanta United has over 250,000 more followers than the average team.
After looking at these numbers, the answer seems clear. Atlanta United IS the most popular team in the MLS. I’ll be surprised if every game at Bobby Dodd Stadium isn’t a sellout.