Atlanta United travels to face Columbus Crew on Saturday in the club’s 2024 MLS season opener at Lower.com Field. The match is set to kick-off at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, while fans can also tune-in to radio calls on 92.9 The Game and La Mejor.
Player Availability
| Player | Injury/Suspension | Status |
| Derrick Etienne Jr. | Left ankle | Out |
| Edwin Mosquera | Left groin | Out |
| Jamal Thiaré | Concussion protocol | Out |
- Atlanta holds an all-time record of 6-9-3 against Columbus in MLS play: 5-3-1 at home and 4-3-2 on the road. This is the first of two meetings between the teams in 2024 as Atlanta will host Columbus on July 20, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- Atlanta took advantage of set piece opportunities in 2023, leading MLS in both goals from set pieces (19) and the percent of its goals scored from set pieces (34.9 percent), according to Sportec Solutions.
- A free agent signing this offseason, Dax McCarty enters 2024 with 466 MLS regular season appearances in his career. He ranks second in MLS history among field players trailing Kyle Beckerman with 498.
- Thiago Almada returns for Atlanta after setting a new single-season club record last season with 19 assists in MLS Regular Season play. The Argentine playmaker was voted 2023 MLS Young Player of the Year and was a finalist for MVP this past season. He also finished second in the league with 33 total goal involvements (goals + assists), according to Sportec Solutions.
- Giorgos Giakoumakis scored 17 goals in his debut season with Atlanta last year. Fifteen of those goals came inside the box where Giakoumakis showed his quality week in and week out. The Greek forward earned 2023 MLS Newcomer of the Year honors.
- Atlanta brought in several new faces who will look to make an impact on the team this season. Defender Stian Gregersen joined from Ligue 2 side Girondins de Bordeaux in France, while Polish international Bartosz Slisz comes from one of the top teams in Poland in Legia Warsaw.