Atlanta United sign Junior Alonso on free transfer

Atlanta United signed Junior Alonso of Paraguay through the 2028-29 season, with the ​33-year-old defender ariving on a free ‌transfer after spending the past two seasons at Brazil's Atletico Mineiro.

This summer, Alonso helped ​Paraguay reach the round of 16 ​at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Junior ⁠is a hard-working defender who will ​help add solidity and stability to our ​backline," said Atlanta chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson. "He's a natural leader, reads the ​game very well, and brings great ​experience from South America and Europe at the ‌club ⁠and international level, recently representing Paraguay at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We're excited to welcome him to Atlanta."

Alonso has ​tallied nine ​goals ⁠and 15 assists in 422 career appearances across all competitions ​while competing in the top flights ​in ⁠Paraguay, France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Russia. He has three goals and three ⁠assists ​in 76 career caps ​with Paraguay.

Atlanta returns from the World Cup break on ​Friday night at Nashville SC.