Atlanta United gunning for MLS record

Atlanta United will play its first game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 10 when it hosts Dallas.

Atlanta United will play its first game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 10 when it hosts Dallas.

Atlanta United will try to set the MLS single-game attendance record when it hosts Orlando City on Sept. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The record of 69,255 was established April 13, 1996 in a game between Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars at the Rose Bowl.

As part of a tour Tuesday of the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium that will become the team’s home, Atlanta United President Darren Eales said, “Would love to be able to set that record. We have the ability to go to 70,000 and we are hoping to be able to do that with our amazing fan base...”

In its first season in MLS and playing previously at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta United leads MLS in average attendance (46,318). Its total attendance of 416,864 in nine games ranks second behind Seattle’s 470,793, set in 11 games.

The stadium will typically be configured to host 42,000 for home games, but it will expand the seating to 70,000 for at least two games. The other will be the regular season finale against Toronto on Oct. 22.