Orlando City vs. Atlanta United Rivalry

The rivalry between Orlando City SC and Atlanta United FC is one of Major League Soccer's leading southeastern matchups. Large supporter sections, regional proximity, and a series of emotional matches helped turn an initially promoted matchup into a sustained rivalry.

Origins

Atlanta entered MLS in 2017, giving Orlando its closest league opponent at the time. Anticipation grew before the first meeting through supporter exchanges and an Atlanta billboard near downtown Orlando declaring that the Five Stripes were coming to conquer.

Atlanta won the inaugural match 1–0 at Orlando City Stadium on July 21, 2017. The Wall was full, Atlanta's traveling section reached capacity, and the atmosphere established the tone for the series.

Atlanta's Early Edge

Atlanta controlled the first phase of the rivalry. Orlando went without a victory in the series from 2017 through 2019, while the Five Stripes won six consecutive matches across all competitions at one point.

The teams also met in the 2019 U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Atlanta won 2–0 in Orlando and went on to lift the trophy.

Orlando's Breakthrough

Orlando earned its first victory in the series on August 29, 2020, winning 3–1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Júnior Urso, Chris Mueller, and Nani scored for the Lions.

Two months later, Orlando defeated Atlanta 4–1 at home. Under Óscar Pareja, the Lions went unbeaten in all four meetings during 2020 and transformed the competitive balance of the rivalry.

Memorable Matches

Date	Result	Moment
July 21, 2017	Atlanta 1–0 Orlando	First meeting in the series
August 6, 2019	Atlanta 2–0 Orlando	U.S. Open Cup semifinal
August 29, 2020	Orlando 3–1 Atlanta	Orlando's first rivalry victory
October 28, 2020	Orlando 4–1 Atlanta	Orlando's largest early win in the series
July 30, 2021	Orlando 3–2 Atlanta	Dramatic home comeback