A 2025 Resurgence Rewarded: Atlanta United Re-Signs Ronald Hernández
- Jason Longshore
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Atlanta United has secured a familiar, trusted piece of its defensive depth chart, announcing Monday that Ronald Hernández has re-signed on a new contract through the 2026 season, with a club option for 2027.
On paper, it is a straightforward roster decision. In practice, it is a commitment to a player who has repeatedly shown two traits MLS teams cannot stockpile enough of: availability across multiple roles and professionalism when the role changes.
The 2025 season that changed the conversation
Hernández’s 2025 campaign was his most complete in MLS, setting career highs in games played (21), starts (16), and minutes (1,322), while also delivering a defining moment: the game-winning goal in Atlanta’s 1–0 road win at Nashville SC on Aug. 30.
Just as significant: that consistency at club level carried back to international level. By the fall, Hernández had worked his way back into Venezuela’s national team picture, earning a return call-up after time away.
For a veteran fullback in a league where minutes can swing violently week to week, that national team return is a meaningful indicator that 2025 was not merely “more playing time,” but a real performance rebound.
“I never give up.” The through-line from 2024 to now
When we spoke with Ronald Hernández back in 2024, the themes that defined him; resilience, adaptability, and a genuine connection to Atlanta came through clearly.
He described the reality of fighting for minutes and staying ready for whatever the coaching staff needed: “I never give up… I’m available… on the right… on the left… as a center back.”
That mindset matters because Hernández has made a career in Atlanta not as a one-position specialist, but as a player who can contribute in different shapes and scenarios. Whether you need a true right back, a tucked-in fullback, or a conservative option in possession, Hernández has shown the willingness and the ability to help the club.
He also articulated something fans do not always get to hear directly from a player: how deeply he values the club’s standard and the people around it. Hernández told us, “I just fell in love with the city, with the club,” and he described Atlanta United as a place that demands “high standards.”
A new contract does not just reward the minutes. It rewards the reliability behind the minutes.
Why Atlanta United did this now
For Atlanta, this is a stability move with upside:
You keep a player who can cover multiple backline roles without needing a tactical reboot.
You keep a proven training-ground standard-setter—the “lead by habits” type Hernández has spoken about.
You maintain depth with a player whose 2025 form was strong enough to indicate that perhaps there's even more to come.
In a league built on availability, adaptability, and short turnarounds, Ronald Hernández has consistently offered Atlanta United all three. The new deal is the club acknowledging that 2025 was not an outlier, it was the proof of concept.