Breel Embolo moves to Atlanta United in MLS after just one season at Rennes

Despite this output, the striker did not stay long in Brittany. As the club announced, Embolo is leaving Stade Rennes after just one year. The original report puts it this way: „Nach nur einem Jahr bei Stade Rennes zieht Embolo bereits wieder weiter."

New chapter in the MLS

With the move to the MLS, Embolo is opening a new chapter in his career. Atlanta United plays in the Eastern Conference and is one of the so-called charter members of the North American professional league. The club was founded in 2017 and won the MLS Cup in 2018.

For the striker, the step means bidding farewell to top-level European football. During his stints in Germany and France, Embolo regularly played competitive matches at a high level, including in the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and on the international stage.

Open questions about the transfer

In the coming weeks, Embolo is expected to join team training in Atlanta and put himself forward for MLS match play. Whether he will continue to play a central role for the Swiss national team after the club change remains open following the move.

Atlanta United reacted to the signing with unusual marketing effort. The club's channels are playing up the transfer with chants and fan songs, suggesting an aggressive marketing push for the new forward.

For Ligue 1 club Stade Rennes, the departure after such a short time represents a sporting loss of blood. The club had only signed the striker in the summer of 2025 and must now reorganize its squad at short notice.

Significance for U.S. soccer

Neither Atlanta United nor Stade Rennes has so far provided official information on the contract term and transfer fee arrangements. Embolo's personal reasons for the quick move have likewise not been publicly explained initially.

In the media, the transfer is being interpreted as a sign of the MLS's continuing pull on European professional players. Other international players have also made the leap across the Atlantic in recent years.