Forget the World Cup. On Saturday, the largest soccer crowd was in Atlanta

July 2,2018

Source: Josh Axelrod and Brandon Griggs, CNN

Step aside, Messi and Ronaldo.

As the world's biggest soccer stars took the field in separate games at the world's largest soccer competition on Saturday, Atlanta was quietly filling its Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Continuing its new tradition of massive crowds, Atlanta's adolescent Major League Soccer team hosted 71,932 people.

That's way more than the day's two World Cup games, neither of which topped 45,000 fans -- making Atlanta's easily the most-watched-in-person soccer game in the world on Saturday.

In fairness, the stadiums in Russia were filled to capacity. But this wasn't even the largest crowd Atlanta has seen.

In only its second season, Atlanta United broke the Major League Soccer attendance record in March and boasts the top four highest attendances in MLS history.

Read the complete article at the link above.