Back in the 2023 MLS Season, Ajani Fortune made his debut on March 11 against Charlotte FC. In the 2024 season, he has played in 19 matches with the Five Stripes, and has started in six. Ever since then, Fortune has solidified himself as a vital piece to Atlanta United’s midfield.
Playing soccer was something Fortune was always meant to do. When he was born, soccer was already a huge part of his life. As he was growing up, his older brother played and his father, Andre Fortune, who is the Director of Football at Inter Development Fútbol, was his coach.
“When I was born, I was surrounded by it. I had a ball next to me when I was laying in bed. Then as I was growing up, I’d always be at the field with them while they were training and I was just waddling around the field,” said Fortune. “Around the age of four, I just started kicking the ball around with no real intent or knowing what I was doing, but it was just a kid out there kicking the ball. When you're doing something so young and so early, you just develop a love for the sport.”
After watching his brother and his dad, it was time for Fortune to join the family business. His dad was his coach until he joined Atlanta United Academy in 2018, and he has continued to help Jay with his development in his own way.
“It's great until you have a bad game,” said Fortune jokingly. “But for the most part, he's taught me everything that I know. He still continues to teach me without stepping on the toes of the coaches or anything like that. I always go to him for advice on things that went well, things that didn't go well.”
Having his dad by his side throughout his soccer career allowed for Fortune to build the foundation of who he is as a player.
“He's very helpful with that in terms of knowing the right things to say and the right timings and all that, but it was great being able to play under him. Me and my brother will be at the field training early mornings, late nights, and you know, him being the coach was, you know, there's no real better way to be introduced to the sport and develop a love for it.”
During his time at IDF, Fortune not only learned valuable skills that he still uses today with the Five Stripes, but he would gain a friend and a brother in defender Matt Edwards.
“Matt’s my boy. When he joined under my dad's club, we kicked it off right away and from there, we grew up together, PlayStation at home to play games in the afternoon, trainings, hard sessions or whatnot, so it was always fun playing with him then,” said Fortune. “Seeing him join the academy was even better. I was happy for him, not just to see his career going in the right direction, we lived together when he was here, we still do now. We're playing a sport that we both love. We're living together, having a great time and whatnot. There's no better way to really hang out with my guy and play the sport at the same time on the field at the same time.”
Fortune played with the U-17 and U-19 squad in the Academy and worked his way up to Atlanta United 2. He made his professional debut with the 2’s against Charleston Battery on July 11, 2020.
“One thing that I've always taken with me is when I was in Academy, my coach at the time was Tony Annan, and he told me that technically and all that stuff is great, but there's the other side of the ball as well, which is working hard off the ball, the defending side of the game, the 50/50 challenges and whatnot. At the time, we didn't always see eye to eye, but as I grew older and as I started to play in the USL games, you see the guys that were playing ahead of me and you realized that what he was saying is true,” said Fortune. “If I was able to add that to my game as well, it helps me and at the time when I was younger, I didn't always agree, but one thing my dad told me as well was just listen to him and, you know, something clicked one day and I started to just see a difference in terms of production in games. I think being able to, to provide the work on and off the ball, as well as the technical ability that I'm able to provide sometimes is one thing that stuck with me since I was in academy.
Fortune was also the first Homegrown captain in the history of Atlanta United, which took him by surprise when asked what it means to him to have that title.
“I think my journey through the academy, through the 2’s was an interesting one, but I think it kind of just shows they saw a future with me through the backroom staff and the coaches and whatnot. I think it shows that I just wanted to work hard and be the best version of myself that I could be,” said Fortune. “I'm very grateful that they were able to see those qualities in me and continue to give me these opportunities, and for me it's just about being able to take the opportunities and keep going in the right direction.”
A moment that drew the line in the sand for Fortune was the 1-0 loss on the road against Memphis 901 FC on June 16, 2021 where he was given two yellow cards in the first half, and his second yellow came against a familiar face.
“It's kind of hard to forget it, especially because my second yellow was a foul on my brother. I remember the next day I came into training, Omar [Jarun], the assistant coach at the time was like, you know, we still believe in you. We still are going to keep pushing you on in the right direction and that was good to hear. I got over it and then about a week later a text came in the group chat saying, I think enough time has passed. We can talk about the fact that, you know, I just got sent off for a foul on my brother and he got a picture of the foul.”
This game gave Jay a lesson he will carry with him for the rest of his career. With the 2’s, he continued to play at a high level against USL Championship players and walked away with valuable lessons about the game.
“It wasn't ideal, so that's something that I'll never forget, but at the same time too, at the time it wasn't great, but looking back on it now it helped because it was a learning experience. I think it'll probably go down as one of my worst moments in football just because red cards happen,” said Fortune. “ You know, a second yellow in the first half against your brother isn't great, but going into the locker room, I was to the side and Robbie Mertz said, ‘It happens, come be with the team, come be around us.’ The team fought for the rest of the second half with 10 men. We weren't able to get the result, but I think they still fought to the very end. After the game, they talked to me as if nothing happened, so, I think that helped as well, just the belief and the trust that they had in me at the time.”
Fortune has been a consistent starter for the Five Stripes for most of the 2024 season, and he is still trying to grow his game and is learning from all of the players around him. One of those players is Dax McCarty.
“As a midfielder, the first thing you do is ask questions. You watch him [McCarty] in training and you learn little things he does and you try and add it to your game because you can always pick up something from somebody else. For someone who's been in the league for so long, you just know that he's doing something right, so you want to know what it is that he's doing and what he sees in your game that can help elevate it,” said Fortune.
When talking about McCarty, Fortune shared what it has been like to play alongside the veteran and how he has helped him in his game this season.
“He showed a lot of belief in me. He trusted me as well in the middle of the field, so when someone like him is trusting you, he has belief in what you can do and he's talking to you at halftime saying, well done work on this or whatever like the only thing you can do is just listen at that point,” said Fortune. “I'm somebody who always tries to take information on board no matter who it is, and then from there, it's just whether or not if it's good information or bad, but at the end of the day, nine times out of 10 with Dax, if he's not joking around, it's good information.”
Fortune has been in the midfield with Bartosz Slisz and Tristen Muyumba for most of the season, and highlighted the relationship between him and Muyumba.
“We sit next to each other in the locker room, so you kind of have no choice, but no, he’s a great guy. He's always easy going, jokes and we talk about things that can help me with my game.
We are always trying to find ways to make each other better by competing with each other.” Fortune joked, “And I think, you know, most of all, the two of us just enjoy beating Bartek in training. He's not too happy with us at the moment (laughs). I think most of all, that kind of stuff brings us together.”
The North Carolina native is in a unique position in his career. He is continuing to grow as a player, but many of the upcoming academy players are looking up to him as they try to break through to the first team.
“When I was with the 2’s, I was captain of the team, and I'm more of a lead by example kind of guy than the verbal type of guy. I've always tried to be somebody that's approachable because I've experienced different times with guys where you might want to ask them a question and talk to them, and they kind of seem not interested. It wasn't a great feeling for me when I was younger, so I never wanted to give off that type of vibe,” said Fortune. “I'll always try and be approachable. If I see something that can help somebody, I'll always say it. But for me, there's still a lot I have to learn, and it's always about trying to give the best information, but at the end of the day, make sure it's correct. I think learning from guys like Dax and being able to pass that information down when applicable or when necessary is. is a good thing to be able to do.”
As the 21-year old continues to shine with Atlanta United, he is also shining at a national team level. Fortune earned his first international call up for the Trinidad and Tobago national team on Jan. 31, 2021 where he made his debut versus the United States in a friendly. He then scored his first goal for his country in a 3-1 win vs St. Kitts/Nevis on June 25, 2023. He has earned six caps for his country, and is looking to help his country as they get ready for the World Cup.
“Both my parents were born there, so I think being able to represent the country that they were born in and grew up in, you know, I wasn't born in Trinidad. I wasn't there too often, but I grew up in a Trinidad household. My mom and my dad are, as they say, ‘Trini to the bone,’ so the food, the accent, just the stuff in the house being clean and all that type of stuff, it felt like you were in Trinidad in a way,” said Fortune. “It was very key for me to be able to always do the best I can when I go down there and whereas I'm not born from there at the same time, you kind of feel like you're a part of it.”
Since the 2026 World Cup is expanding to 48 teams, this opens more spots for Concacaf teams to go through. With six spots available, three of those going to the USA, Canada and Mexico, and 2 Play-off spots, this opens the door for Trinidad and Tobago to reach their second World Cup in history. They will face Honduras next in the second round of World Cup Qualifying on September 6.
“We have a really big opportunity to try and qualify for a World Cup and we're gonna go at it the best way that we can. It's always a pleasure to get called up and just making sure it's the right time and everything's going well, so that when I go down there, I can compete to the best of my ability,” said Fortune.
After starting in the last four matches, Ajani Fortune is only getting started. Whether he is dueling for a 50/50 ball in the midfield or leading the next generation of Academy players, he is part of the future of Atlanta United. One thing is clear, the best has yet to come for him.
✍️: Madison Crews
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