Chris Barry attended an Atlanta United match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, unaware that he would become the venue’s 1 millionth soccer fan in 2025. As he entered through Gate 2 for a midafternoon kickoff, Barry was surprised to learn of the milestone.
“The 1 millionth fan, what a title!” Barry said.
The achievement follows a busy schedule at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year, which has included 16 Atlanta United matches, six FIFA Club World Cup matches, and a Premier League Summer series doubleheader. These events have drawn large crowds of local fans and contributed to reaching the one-million mark for soccer attendance in 2025.
To commemorate the occasion, Barry received special Connector and Resurgens kits with “1,000,000” on the nameplate. The celebration included confetti and an announcement by DJ EU as Barry was recognized on the Front Porch. He and his group — his wife and two friends — were invited to follow Atlanta United’s First Team during player arrival, sign the Golden Spike, and visit the pitch.
They were also given four all-inclusive pitchside seats at the Truist Club for the match.
“That was incredible,” Barry said Sunday afternoon. “We just walked in to celebration. [I’m] glad to be in the sunshine watching the team play today.”
Barry has supported Atlanta United since its early days at Bobby Dodd Stadium as a Season Ticket Member.
“It’s been great,” Barry said. “I became the biggest fan of our friend group, so now I’m the one that rallies everybody together. We gotta get to the game, get there early, see everything.”
He described his favorite part of attending games: “The goals, cheering for the goals,” he said. “Hearing the train horn, it’s the best part.”
