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.
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.
The magical season for FC Naples ended the following week with a 1-0 loss on the road to first-place One Knoxville in the USL playoff semifinals. Looking back on the season, Moreno says, “I’m so grateful to the team and the coaching staff. And I feel such gratitude for the community, the fans, the business community, the county, and to our corporate partners.”
The fans have turned FC Naples into the type of community Moreno dreamed of when he started working on this expansion franchise in March 2023. “It fills my heart to see the community at the games,” he says. “The kids, all walks of life.”
Becoming the co-founder and CEO of FC Naples is the latest stop on a journey that began with Moreno playing soccer as a kid growing up in Colombia. “I would never say I was a good soccer player, but I was smart, which is why I was successful,” Moreno says. Today, Moreno is a scratch golfer who also plays tennis and basketball.
Moreno earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Miami and was an executive at Zumba Fitness for more than a decade. While at Zumba, he began thinking seriously about his lifelong goal of owning and running a professional sports team. He has learned a lot about running a soccer club through his investments in teams around the world. Moreno is a minority owner of Leyton Orient Football Club in England and SC Preussen Münster in Bundesliga 3 in Germany and serves as a board member at Patro Eisden Maasmechelen in Belgium.
Moreno began looking into buying or starting a USL franchise as far back as 2016, but it wasn’t until after COVID that he decided on Naples. He and Justin Papadakis, USL deputy CEO and chief real estate officer, made a trip to Naples and visited the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. On that trip, Moreno became certain that Naples was the right city and Paradise Coast Sports Complex was the right venue.
Now, Moreno is heading up the third inaugural team in USL League One history to make the playoffs. FC Naples clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 home victory over AV Alta FC on September 27.
The USL is the largest and fastest growing professional soccer organization in North America, with more than a decade of experience in bringing the world’s game to communities across the United States and Canada. The league has been successful in ushering teams into markets where there weren’t other professional sports teams. Next season, the USL League One will expand from 14 to as many as 21 teams, including adding teams in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale that will provide instant rivalries with FC Naples.
At Zumba, Moreno says, he “learned the importance of community and connecting with people.” The FC Naples community includes La Barra 239, the offcial team supporters’ group. Members are known for playing drums, waving flags, and screaming chants throughout the game. If you closed your eyes, you might think you were at an international match in South America.
When asked about his experience, season ticket holder Robert Zecca of Naples says, “I love it. As far as the people—the players, the fans, the organization—we feel like family. Playing in a beautiful place and great stadium makes it so much fun.” Neapolitan Stefanie Nelson, whose family also has season tickets, says, “It’s a great family thing to do. We know all the players. Our son knows the players, and the players’ willingness to engage with the kids is great.” The FC Naples players are actively involved in the community; some are even local youth soccer coaches.
The team has been successful both on the field and at the gate. It has played in front of crowds totaling between 3,500 and 5,000 in a stadium that has a total capacity of 5,000. There are 3,500 fixed seats, with additional seating on the berm, eight party suites, and two party decks. “FC Naples is ours,” says FC Naples Coach and Sporting Director Matt Poland. “It’s necessary to have a professional sports team that everyone can support. The city needed something that they could call their own.” Poland spent a lot of his childhood and many of his off seasons living in Marco Island.
Hiring a top coach was one of Moreno’s first major decisions, and Poland and Moreno have become strong partners. “Roberto came from the business world, and he’s stepping into a different environment in pro sports,” Poland says. “He focuses on the human side and values the human connection.” Poland has coached teams around the world; now he aims to continue to make FC Naples a strong defensive team that’s both hard-working and entertaining. “Roberto trusts you to do your job; he’s very respectful of letting me make my decisions as a coach,” he says.
Poland adds that it’s important the team and its style appeal to the Naples fan base. “For this community, which is made up of very hard workers who have worked extremely hard to get to where they’ve gotten, they need to feel and experience the commitment to effort,” Poland explains. “They can smell laziness, and they know what hard work looks like.”
Each USL team can sign up to seven international players. Moreno is actively involved with identifying and signing the roster. He works closely with agents and scouts in South America, but he leaves the game plans to Poland. “I am the opposite of Jerry Jones,” Moreno quips, referring to the famously hands-on owner of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
As CEO, Moreno works closely with the players, coaches, sponsors, vendors, and Collier County. His consistent goal is to enhance the fan experience. “This is Naples’ team, and everyone in the community has played an important role in making FC Naples what it is,” Moreno says. Regardless of the final match scores, FC Naples is a clear winner for the entire city.
Story Credits:
Shot on location at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, Naples
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