Atlanta United add Paraguay D 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.

--Field Level Media

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 1:35 PM.