Soccer wasn’t supposed to succeed in Atlanta. Georgia’s capital was known to be a volatile sports market, its fans regarded as fair-weather, disloyal or simply disinterested.



There were further doubts about the league’s decision to award Falcons owner Arthur Blank an MLS franchise. Blank was not the first billionaire NFL owner to purchase a club in the country’s top division. And Atlanta United was not the first professional soccer team to try to establish itself in the southern city. The Chiefs, Silverbacks and Beat are all defunct attempts to bring soccer to Atlanta.



But Atlanta United bucked that trend and has proven that the world’s game can thrive in the South. The Five Stripes are among the league’s best-funded, best-run and most successful clubs: they have already captured four titles, including the league’s top prize, MLS Cup, in 2018.



And it’s been this way since the beginning. Stacked...