Fafa Picault Brings Speed, Purpose, and a Veteran’s Edge to Atlanta United

Atlanta United’s newest addition is not a signing built on mystery.

It is built on experience, pace, and a career that has carried meaning well beyond the next stop on the map.

The club announced today the signing of free agent winger Fafa Picault to a contract through the 2026 MLS season, with an option through June 30, 2027. Picault arrives with nine years of MLS experience, recording 61 goals and 29 assists in 255 regular season and playoff appearances, a body of work that speaks to both longevity and consistent attacking output.

For Atlanta, this is the addition of a proven wide threat. For Picault, it is the continuation of a journey that has always been about more than minutes.

A Full-Circle Signing for Chris Henderson

This move also carries a personal resonance inside the front office.

Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson described meeting Picault two decades ago at a clinic for the Haitian community while Henderson was playing for the Miami Fusion.

“Just a kid at the time, his pace, quality, and joy for the game stood out,” Henderson said in the club’s release. Henderson followed Picault’s path closely, worked to bring him to Inter Miami, and now welcomes him to Atlanta after Picault helped Miami win MLS Cup.

“He has been a productive player in this league for a long time,” Henderson said, “and he brings experience, professionalism, and championship mentality to our group. For me, this signing is truly full circle.”

That framing matters. Atlanta is not just adding depth. They are adding a player trusted by people who have watched his career from the beginning.

“They Call Me Fafa”

His full name is Fabrice Picault, but almost no one calls him that.

“Fafa” has been with him since he was a baby, a nickname his mother gave him that became his identity long before supporters turned it into a calling card. MLSsoccer.com’s 2017 “10 Things” feature captured how naturally the name followed him through school, through football, and eventually through MLS, where fans in Philadelphia embraced him fully.

It is a small detail, but it fits: Picault is the kind of player who feels familiar quickly, a personality as much as a profile.

Miami Beginnings, Haitian Roots

Picault’s story starts in more than one place.

Born in New York and raised in South Florida, he grew up with football in his family from the beginning.

“So, my father played professional indoor and he kind of taught me everything I knew from when I could walk,” Picault said in an Inter Miami feature when he returned home to sign there.

His roots run even deeper.

“My grandfather was the captain of Haiti,” he recalled, describing the conversations they shared about national team trips and history.

That Haitian heritage has always been present in his life, even before it became central to his international career.

Picault also spoke about the sacrifices that shaped his path.

“We didn’t have much. We came here to start from scratch,” he said. “I watched my parents really work hard… just to be able to send me to tournaments.”

That perspective stays with him. He has never played as if the opportunity is owed.

A Global Path Before MLS

Picault’s career has never been linear.

As a teenager, he left the United States for Italy, joining the youth setup at Cagliari Primavera. He later played abroad with Sparta Prague and spent two seasons in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga with FC St. Pauli.

Those years gave him the foundation of a player comfortable adapting across cultures and systems.

Before MLS, he also played domestically with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Fort Lauderdale Strikers, building his professional base the hard way, through movement and persistence.

By the time he arrived in MLS, he was already a football nomad with a clear weapon: speed.

A Veteran MLS Attacker With Real Production

Picault’s MLS résumé now spans Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Vancouver, Miami, and now Atlanta.

And the output has followed him.

The club release highlights his standout seasons:

• Double-digit MLS goals with Philadelphia in 2018

• 11 goals with Houston in 2021

• Nine goals with Nashville in 2023, including three in Leagues Cup to help the club reach the final

• A career-best 2024 campaign with Vancouver, contributing 10 goals and eight assists across all competitions, helping the Whitecaps win the Canadian Championship and reach the playoffs

• Four goals in all competitions for MLS Cup champion Inter Miami in 2025

That is not a player winding down. That is a player who has continued to find ways to contribute.

Even in a rotational role in Miami last season, Picault’s underlying efficiency remained strong. On a per-90 basis, he produced roughly 0.48 goals per 90 minutes, with an expected goals rate around 0.40 xG per 90, evidence that he still consistently gets into dangerous scoring positions even when his minutes are managed.

Atlanta is adding a winger whose game has aged with intelligence, not decline.

Speed, Directness, and Versatility

Picault has always been known for pace. He stretches back lines, forces defenders to turn, and gives teams a vertical option in transition.

But what has kept him valuable over nine MLS seasons is versatility.

He can play wide on either side. He can tuck inside. He can press. He can start matches or change them late.

That flexibility matters in MLS, where roster depth and tactical adaptability often decide seasons.

Atlanta’s attack has often been at its best with runners who tilt the field. Picault brings exactly that.

Haiti, Legacy, and Something Bigger Than Football

The most meaningful chapter of Picault’s story may not be club-related at all.

For years, he was eligible to represent Haiti, the country of his parents and grandfather. He played friendlies for the United States in 2016, but in 2023, at age 32, he made his Haiti debut at the Gold Cup.

Jon Arnold captured the weight of that decision in his newsletter Getting CONCACAFed, writing that Picault was no longer chasing acclaim, but thinking about legacy.

“Mainly the situation in the country,” Picault told Arnold. “It’s very difficult for a lot of people, and I wanted to come in and be a part of something to hopefully uplift the country and people there that may be down in morale.”

He spoke about inspiring the next generation, about ensuring young talent does not “fall through the cracks.”

That is not a soundbite. That is a worldview.

Atlanta is signing a player who plays with responsibility.

Faith, Perspective, and Resilience

Picault has also spoken openly about faith and hardship.

“Faith is a big part of my life,” he said, reflecting on personal loss. “When I don’t have a solution… I just pray.”

That lived experience shapes leadership. Not loud leadership, but steady presence.

The kind of veteran influence that matters over a long season.

Why Atlanta United Fans Will Root for Him

Atlanta United is adding a known MLS archetype: the veteran winger who understands the league, understands moments, and still has the pace to change games.

But Picault is also more than that.

He is the product of sacrifice. A player proud of his Haitian roots. A champion with Miami. A professional trusted by Chris Henderson. A winger whose numbers show he is still effective, still dangerous, still capable of end product.

He arrives with speed.

He arrives with experience.

And he arrives with meaning.

For Atlanta United supporters, that is an easy story to embrace.