Another stellar debut for Atlanta United.
In the team’s first year of eligibility, it was named the Most Valuable Team in Major League Soccer by Forbes Magazine in their annual rankings released Wednesday.
The publication listed Atlanta United’s unprecedented fan support and ticket sales at home matches as a primary driver of their valuation, but also mentioned the team’s merchandise sales, and the strength of the squad as reasons for the high ranking. Forbes said, the team’s “unprecedented success has made Atlanta United one of the greatest team debuts in American pro sports history.”
The ranking, which is an analysis of each clubs’ finances from 2017, says the average club went up by 8% in value in 2017.