George Bello, Caleb Wiley, and now, Dominik Chong Qui. Atlanta United has a thing for producing talented left backs at young ages.
Chong Qui is the newest in a line of successful left backs to come up through the Atlanta United Academy. The kid from Alpharetta, Ga. is already making moves with Atlanta United’s senior team at just 17 years old.
Chong Qui spoke with media Tuesday for the first time since signing a first team contract April 4. He handled the attention with class and seemed like a natural for his first rodeo.
It wasn’t a surprise for a 17-year-old kid who doesn’t see age when he’s out on the pitch. In his first career MLS start against New York City FC March 29, he faced a player in Maxi Morales, 38, who is more than double his age. That never worried him.
“I just try to put faith that I prepared as well as I possibly could have to play the game,” Chong Qui said. “I try not to focus on how old they may be or if they're ‘better than me.’ I focus on what I can do or what I could bring to the table for the game.”
At 17 years old and 90 days, he was the second-youngest player to start for the 5-Stripes in club history. The only guy younger was Bello, who went on to be a pivotal player for Atlanta United and eventually earned a move to then-Bundesliga team Arminia Bielefeld in Germany.
The start of the season has been a whirlwind for Chong Qui. Between Atlanta United 2 matches, signing short-term agreements with Atlanta United, making first team starts and now GA Cup matches with the U-18s, he’s being pulled in a lot of different directions. And he loves it.
“It's been it's been really nice,” Chong Qui said. “I'm really happy and thankful again for the opportunity, because I feel like it's bettering me as a player and helping me develop to become the best player I could possibly be.”
That attitude alone will get him far, but his talent on the pitch is just as intriguing. He’s a rapid and physically imposing fullback, standing at 5-foot-10. And he’s made a habit out of impressing his coaches quickly. He made just three substitute appearances for the 2s last season before becoming a regular starter for the remainder of the season.
He’ll be the first to admit that he’s got plenty of room to grow. He was honest about breaking down that start against NYCFC and recognized where he can build from.
“I agree with coach. I think I took too long sometimes to play the ball,” Chong Qui said. “I could have been sharper technically. But also feel like I played a few key passes … I stayed connected to the team, to center backs, and I was able to distribute the ball as best I can.”
More than just knowing what he can improve on, Chong Qui laid out an action plan for making that improvement happen. He said he could work with Brad Guzan, Derrick Williams, and others on settling their passes to him and turning up field with more confidence.
What’s so staggering about Chong Qui’s ascent is the speed at which it has all come together. It hasn’t even been five full months since he signed his professional contract with Atlanta United 2 on Dec. 18, 2024. He made his debut with the 2s six months earlier on June 26.
Chong Qui was scheduled to be on an MLS deal by the beginning of 2026. That agreement would’ve had him on contract through the 2028 season with a team option for 2029. The decision to sign with the first team early means he’ll have one less year than what his contract would’ve been had he waited. The trade off? He’ll be eligible for selection for the rest of the 2025 MLS season.
And despite Pedro Amador being the solidified starter at left back and Ronald Hernández healthy to fill in as a backup, Chong Qui is ready to compete and earn his minutes. As Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson said in his introductory press conference back in December 2024, the most successful teams in MLS have depth at every single position. Chong Qui is now firmly a part of that depth.
“Yeah, they're coming back, but I need to focus on how I work, and to work hard to help myself [get] the chance to be playing this year,” he said. “I just need to focus on keeping myself healthy, away from injuries and focus on being able to show the best I possibly can.”
Amador, Hernández and the other fullbacks, according to Chong Qui, have been very supportive of his development. They’ve helped him with decision making and getting out of tough positional situations. With more and more reps, it feels inevitable that Chong Qui will become a regular for the first team, just as he’s done at every level.
Chong Qui said he hasn’t spoken with Bello or Wiley yet. That’ll probably change here soon, especially as Chong Qui continues to make a name for himself. He said his agent also represents Wiley, who moved to Chelsea FC in England in July 2024.
“I'm just happy that the coach can see that I work as hard as I can,” Chong Qui said. “It's paying off, and he sees that I could be a real part of the team this year. Next year, [too], but mainly this year, because that's the reason he moved me up, because he sees that could be a real contributing factor to the team this year.”
