Sports
Falcons owner Blank, Atlanta get 17th NWSL team
Atlanta was confirmed on Tuesday as the location for the 17th franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
The team will be owned by Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment, which also owns the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’ Atlanta United FC. Both teams play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the NWSL franchise will begin play in 2028.
“Atlanta is a city that embodies the energy, diversity, and ambition that define the next chapter of the NWSL,” league commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. “From its passionate fan base to its deep sports culture, Atlanta has all the ingredients to become one of the league’s most dynamic markets.
“We are thrilled to partner with Arthur Blank and his exceptional team, whose commitment to building world-class organizations and community-driven impact aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of women’s soccer.”
As part of its commitment to the new team, Blank and AMBSE will also build a “first-class training ground” and hire a dedicated leadership staff to oversee the operations of the club.
“We are thrilled to bring a National Women’s Soccer League franchise to Atlanta and Georgia and the passionate soccer fans here,” Blank said. “We look forward to working with the NWSL and other club owners to continue building the best women’s soccer league in the world and are committed to creating a world-class organization on and off the pitch.
“Our clear goal is to compete for championships beginning in 2028 and serve as a source of pride for fans in Atlanta, Georgia and the league for decades to come. Our city and state have a deep passion for the game of soccer, and I know our fans will embrace this club as they have Atlanta United.”
The passion that built a movement now powers a new one, NWSL Atlanta 2028. pic.twitter.com/VBnl4trORy
— NWSL Atlanta 2028 (@NWSLAtlanta2028) November 11, 2025
According to Tuesday’s announcement, there will be modifications to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the NWSL club. Attendance will be capped at approximately 28,000.
In 2026, the NWSL will see its 15th and 16th teams begin play with the introduction of Boston Legacy FC and Denver. Berman has said several times this year that the NWSL can eventually be as big as the 32-team NFL, at least conceptually.
Atlanta and Blank had been part of the NWSL expansion conversation intermittently for nearly a decade, with many describing the market as a when-not-if situation once Blank is ready to join the league.
The city was previously home to women’s professional soccer when the Atlanta Beat played there in WUSA from 2001 to 2003 and in WPS in 2010 and 2011. The WPS version of the Beat built a stadium for the team in Kennesaw, Georgia, in collaboration with Kennesaw State University.
Atlanta is the seventh-largest TV media market in the U.S., per Nielsen data.
Atlanta United has been a major success for MLS since launching in 2017. The team won a championship the following year and has led MLS in attendance every season since launching (except during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020), averaging over 40,000 fans per game.
Blank donated $50 million to help make Atlanta the new home of U.S. Soccer’s headquarters beginning next year, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be a featured host venue to eight games, including a semifinal, for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
“Atlanta has been a leader in shaping the future of soccer in this country, and the launch of a NWSL team is another incredible step forward,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said. “Arthur has been a consistent and passionate supporter of soccer at every level, and his investment to bring an expansion team here reinforces the unmistakable rising potential of women’s soccer.
“With world-class facilities, passionate fans, and a community that believes in the power of the game to unite and inspire, Atlanta will set a new standard for what’s possible in professional women’s soccer.”
Information from ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf and The Associated Press was used in this story.
Cristiano Ronaldo promised to be a “good boy” as he prepares to face a tide of boos at the Aviva Stadium.
The Portugal skipper will lead his teammates in their World Cup qualifier with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday a month after celebrating Rúben Neves‘ last-gasp winner in the reverse fixture in the face of defender Jake O’Brien.
Ronaldo told media on Wednesday that he expects to be booed, but is concentrating only on the task of helping his team reach what will be his last World Cup finals.
He said: “I really like the fans here. The support they give to the national team, it’s lovely. For me, it’s a pleasure to come and play here again.
“Of course, it will be tough. I hope they don’t boo me too much tomorrow. I swear that I’m going to try to be a good boy.
“But of course, I do my job. I try to win the game and try to score to help my team. I’m sure that the game will be difficult.”
Ronaldo endured an evening to forget in the Lisbon encounter as he drew a blank after Caoimhín Kelleher saved his penalty, which had been awarded by Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak.
Ireland fans accused the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star of having an undue influence over the match official, but Ronaldo was having none of it.
He said: “It’s normal because they know if they lose tomorrow, they are out, so they try to make things around the game, to try to do things.
“But we have to be prepared for a tough game. I think it will be very similar to the game they played in Lisbon — and they have a chance.
“They are a good team, so we are prepared. I think Portugal will have a good game and will try to win the match.”
Portugal will secure qualification to the World Cup with a win, while Ireland have work to do to finish ahead of rivals Hungary and Armenia in the race for second spot in Group F and a spot in the UEFA playoffs in March.
Ronaldo said earlier this week the World Cup campaign will be his last as he contemplated retirement, but the 40-year-old is intent on adding to his already sizeable trophy haul.
However the man with a staggering 143 international goals to his name said that quest is far from all about him.
He said: “A national team doesn’t depend on one good player, but it helps to have good players who can make a difference, especially with goals.
“It’s always good for me to score goals. I want to play in this next World Cup, but we’ll take it step by step.”
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez will be without suspended midfielder Bruno Fernandes and injured defender Nuno Mendes in Dublin, where he expects a difficult evening after the victory in Lisbon.
Martinez said: “I think we’re going to see an Irish team that is full of confidence, they’re playing at home and this is the last camp to try to qualify for the World Cup, so I think the game will be totally different.”
Information from PA was used in this story.
The 41-year-old Wellar spent the past seven seasons as an assistant for the Hershey Bears and has coaching history with Carbery.
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LAS VEGAS — Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he had a long conversation with star Bryce Harper recently but wouldn’t go into specifics about what the two discussed. The talk came after recent comments by Dombrowski seemed to irk Harper whose .844 OPS last season was his lowest since 2016.
“I’ve spoken to him,” Dombrowski said at baseball’s general manager meetings Tuesday. “We had a nice conversation. Everything went well.”
After the Phillies were ousted by the Dodgers in the National League Division Series in October, Dombrowski openly wondered if Harper could return to the best version of himself. Harper had a good season in 2025, but it wasn’t close to a career year and it included a 3-for-15 performance in the postseason.
“He’s still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star-caliber player,” Dombrowski said last month. “He didn’t have an elite season like he’s had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good.”
Harper said he was “hurt” by the comments.
“It’s disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team,” Harper told The Athletic. “Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much.”
It prompted the recent conversation between Dombrowski and Harper, characterized as a “productive” one by the Phillies’ boss.
“We had a good conversation,” Dombrowski said. “We talked for quite a while. And really, conversations between Bryce and myself are between us.”
Harper is in the middle of a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia, signed before the 2019 season. He finished sixth in MVP voting in 2024 after winning the award with the Phillies in 2021.
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