FC Naples Bio
FC Naples is a professional soccer team based in Naples, Florida, founded in January 2024 and competing in USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid. The club plays home matches at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium and fields its inaugural competitive side under president and co-founder Roberto Moreno and co-owner Nico Cantor.
FC Naples represents the first fully professional soccer club in Southwest Florida and established a local supporters culture quickly, with La Barra 239 emerging as a vocal fan group during the club’s launch and inaugural season.
Early Life and Background
FC Naples was announced and organized in 2024 with a fan outreach initiative early in the year to shape the club’s identity and badge. The club revealed its official name, crest, and branding on June 15, 2024, a badge designed to reflect Naples’s coastal character and maritime heritage.
Roberto Moreno, the club president and co-founder, led the ownership group alongside Nico Cantor. The club established its home at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium, a venue built in 2020 with a capacity of 5,000 and a synthetic turf playing surface.
Path to Soccer
FC Naples secured entry into USL League One for the 2025 season, positioning the club within the professional structure of U.S. soccer. The franchise formation benefited from local outreach and support from USL leadership after prospective visits highlighted Naples as a viable market for professional soccer.
The club prioritized building a local identity through community engagement, including soliciting resident feedback on branding and establishing commercial partnerships with regional organizations and national suppliers to support the team’s operations and matchday presentation.
FC Naples Career
Early Career (2024–2025)
In the club’s founding year, FC Naples completed branding, staffing and player recruitment ahead of their competitive debut in 2025. Matt Poland was announced as the club’s first head coach on July 17, 2024, and the team held initial tryouts on September 7, 2024, as part of squad formation.
Commercial and kit arrangements were put in place prior to kickoff, with Hummel International named as the club’s kit supplier and Physicians Regional Healthcare System confirmed as the primary kit sponsor. The club’s colors feature a signature deep blue meant to evoke the waters of Naples.
USL League One Breakthrough (2025)
FC Naples delivered a notable inaugural campaign in USL League One in 2025, finishing fourth in the regular season and qualifying for the playoffs. The team opened its competitive history with a 1-1 draw against the Chattanooga Red Wolves, registering its first-ever goal through Andres Ferrin and following with regular-season wins over Forward Madison FC, Spokane Velocity and Texoma FC.
The club also competed in knockout competition and was eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup on penalty kicks by the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In league play FC Naples suffered its first defeat to One Knoxville SC but rebounded with a highlight 1-0 victory over USL Championship side Charleston Battery in their first USL Cup match, a game decided by Karsen Henderlong.
FC Naples advanced to the USL League One playoffs and reached the semifinals, where the team was eliminated by eventual champions One Knoxville SC. The playoff run in the club’s first season underscored the rapid competitive progress achieved in the team’s opening year.
FC Naples Era (2024–Present)
Since establishment, FC Naples has emphasized local engagement and the development of rivalries in the region, including the Battle for Paradise with Sarasota Paradise and the Derby of the Gulf with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Matchday operations at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium and an early core fanbase have given the club a visible community footprint in Collier County.
Ownership under Roberto Moreno and Nico Cantor has blended sports investment experience and media profile, leveraging partnerships and investor connections to support growth. The club’s infrastructure and commercial signings were arranged to provide a professional platform for coaching, player development and fan experience in the years ahead.
Playing Style and Strengths
Under head coach Matt Poland, FC Naples produced resilient and competitive performances across its inaugural season, combining home stability with effective results on the road. The team’s tactical approach evolved during 2025 as the roster settled, and the club demonstrated the capacity to compete with higher-tier opposition in cup fixtures.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in FC Naples history include the official branding reveal on June 15, 2024, the club’s first competitive match and first goal scored by Andres Ferrin, and the first victory over a USL Championship opponent, Charleston Battery, via Karsen Henderlong’s goal. Reaching the USL League One semifinals in the inaugural 2025 campaign stands as an early benchmark achievement for the club.
FC Naples Career Wins
FC Naples registered multiple notable wins during its inaugural 2025 league campaign, including regular-season victories over Forward Madison FC, Spokane Velocity and Texoma FC, and a cup victory against Charleston Battery. The club’s results across league and cup play contributed to a fourth-place regular-season finish and a playoff semifinal appearance.
USL League One Highlights
The club’s USL League One highlights center on a successful introduction to professional competition, qualifying for the playoffs in its first season and advancing to the semifinal stage. FC Naples recorded its opening competitive points in a 1-1 draw and followed with a series of wins that secured a top-four finish among 14 teams in the 2025 regular season.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Beyond league play, FC Naples produced noteworthy performances in domestic cup competition and friendlies, most prominently a 1-0 victory over the USL Championship side Charleston Battery in their first USL Cup fixture. The club’s cup and interleague results illustrated the depth and ambition of the roster during its first year of competition.
FC Naples Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ownership of FC Naples is led by Roberto Moreno and Nico Cantor, combining Moreno’s background in business and prior investments in football clubs with Cantor’s media profile and involvement in soccer coverage. Moreno’s earlier investments include minority stakes in clubs overseas, reflecting an ownership approach that blends local roots with broader football experience.
Personal Life
FC Naples has built a public identity tied to the Naples community, featuring a crest and club colors inspired by local maritime heritage and coastal imagery. The team maintains public-facing partnerships with regional organizations and operates its social and commercial presence through official channels and supporters’ engagement.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season served as FC Naples’s inaugural competitive year and a successful introduction to USL League One, with the club finishing fourth in the regular season and reaching the playoff semifinals. The season featured a sequence of early positive results, competitive cup matches and an evolving roster under head coach Matt Poland that set the foundation for subsequent campaigns.
Key players contributed milestone moments throughout the year, including first-goal scorer Andres Ferrin and Karsen Henderlong’s decisive cup goal. FC Naples enters the post-2025 period with established community ties, a clear visual identity, and competitive momentum to build on in future USL League One campaigns.
