Atlanta United FC vs New York City FC

Atlanta United FC host New York City FC in Major League Soccer on Saturday, 26 September 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with both rosters stripped of regular starters by international call-ups and injuries.

Atlanta without top scorer Miranchuk and four others

Atlanta enter Matchweek 27 in 14th place in the Eastern Conference on 26 points, having won 1-0 away at Portland Timbers on 20 September after a 0-0 draw at DC United on 12 September. That two-match unbeaten stretch brought their first consecutive clean sheets on the road since November 2021, but they face New York City FC without top scorer Aleksey Miranchuk, who has six goals this season and is away on international duty. International fixtures also rule out Miguel Almiron, Franco Picault, Junior Alonso, and Pedro Diaz, while Tomas Jacob is doubtful with an injury and Steven Alzate is doubtful through illness. Atlanta have lost seven of their 12 home matches in Major League Soccer this year, scoring 17 times and conceding 21 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Ten players absent or doubtful for New York City FC

New York City FC sit 10th in the Eastern Conference with 32 points from 26 matches, but travel to Atlanta following a 1-0 home defeat against New York Red Bulls on 18 September. Their away record stands level at four wins, four draws, and four defeats from 12 league fixtures, having scored 13 and conceded 13 on the road. The visiting squad has also been hit hard by international call-ups, which remove goalkeeper Matt Freese, Tayvon Gray, Mitja Ilenic, and Aiden O'Neill. Injuries rule out Maxi Moralez, Agustin Farnos, and Drew Baiera, while Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, and Talles Magno are doubtful with injuries. That leaves top scorer Nicolas Fernandez, who leads the club with 15 goals in all competitions, to lead the line after the side averaged 1.08 expected goals across their last five matches.

Our model leans narrowly towards an Atlanta United FC win

Our forecasting model leans narrowly towards an Atlanta United FC win. Recent head-to-head fixtures have produced high scores, including a 4-3 Atlanta victory in March 2025 and a 4-0 win for New York City FC in June 2025. Atlanta have generated 1.47 expected goals a match over their last five outings compared to 1.08 for New York City FC, yet Atlanta's missing quintet of international starters and home record of four wins from 12 league games keep the model's call at low confidence.