Pro soccer club FC Naples scores big with the local community
Roberto Moreno is filled with joy and pride when he thinks back to FC Naples’ home opener March 8, 2025, at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. “Hearing the national anthem at the first game was a special moment,” says Moreno, the team’s co-founder and CEO. “Naples was finally welcoming a pro team.”
A week later, after playing to a tie in its opener, the first professional sports team in Naples won its first game with a 2-0 home win against Forward Madison FC. “It was a special feeling when minute 90 struck and I heard the cheers from the crowd,” Moreno says.
Alessandro Martin, FC Naples’ corporate partnerships and community engagement officer, poses with Moreno. Photo by Nick Shirghio
The team created quite a buzz when it went undefeated in its first eight matches. That was just the start of a memorable season that exceeded Moreno’s already high expectations of making the playoffs. Not only did FC Naples make the playoffs, but it also finished in fourth place to become the first United Soccer League (USL) expansion team to host a playoff game. In November, playing in front of a crowd of 3,600 fans, FC Naples defeated reigning USL League One champions Union Omaha, 4-3, in a penalty shootout. The game was scoreless after 90 minutes of regulation and after another 30 minutes of extra time. “I’m so proud of the team and the community for this historic achievement,” Moreno says, after the tense and thrilling victory.