Miami FC is an American professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team based in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

that competes in the

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...

, the second tier of the

American soccer pyramid The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur association football, soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Although sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are no ...

. The club began play in the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

(NASL) in the 2016 season. Following the demise of the NASL, the club participated in the

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...

(NPSL) and the

National Independent Soccer Association The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States. The league is previously in the third tier of American soccer and began play in 2019. NISA initially used a fall-to-spring season for ...

(NISA) before moving to the

for the 2020 season. The team currently plays its home games at

Pitbull Stadium Pitbull Stadium is a college football and soccer stadium on the campus of Florida International University (FIU) in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida with a Miami mailing address. It is the home stadium of the FIU Panthers football tea ...

on the campus of

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

History

North American Soccer League

The club was announced on May 20, 2015, as the 12th North American Soccer League franchise with plans to begin play in the 2016 season and later confirmed it would play out of Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium on the campus of Florida International University. The team, co-owned by media entrepreneur

Riccardo Silva Riccardo Silva (born 1970) is an Italian businessman. He is the owner of Silva International Investments, which has investments in a range of companies across media, sports, entertainment, art, and real estate. He is also a co-owner of AC M ...

and former Italy national team defender

Paolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini (; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who played as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greates ...

, came only one year after former

England national team Team England usually refers to the name under which athletes representing Commonwealth Games England compete. England team or Team England may refer to: *Commonwealth Games England *England national football team *England cricket team *England nat ...

star and

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

legend

David Beckham Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...

announced his intent to launch an MLS team in the city. In September 2015,

Alessandro Nesta Alessandro Nesta (; born 19 March 1976) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is the current head coach of Serie A club Monza. Usually deployed as a centre-back, he is widely considered as one of the best defenders of ...

was appointed as the club's first coach. On November 20, 2015, Italian sportswear company

Macron Macron may refer to: People * Emmanuel Macron (born 1977), president of France since 2017 * Brigitte Macron (born 1953), French teacher, wife of Emmanuel Macron * Jean-Michel Macron (born 1950), French professor of neurology, father of Emmanuel ...

were announced as the club's kit suppliers on a three-year deal. Nesta resigned as coach following the completion of the 2017 season, on 17 November.

National Premier Soccer League and 'Miami FC 2'

In January 2018, following the suspension and later cancellation of the 2018 NASL season, the organization announced the creation of "The Miami FC 2" in the National Premier Soccer League with 12 members of its 2017 NASL roster. The intention was for Miami FC's players to play with Miami FC 2 while waiting for the NASL's proposed winter schedule to take effect. The team hired

Paul Dalglish Paul Kenneth Dalglish (born 18 February 1977) is a Scottish former professional footballer. Playing career Dalglish, son of former Scotland international Kenny Dalglish, was born in Glasgow though spent his childhood in Liverpool where his fa ...

as the new head coach on January 25. The team played its home matches at its former training grounds on the campus of St. Thomas University in

Miami Gardens Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Miami and located north of downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th ...

. The team went on to dominate the

regular season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...

in the NPSL's Sunshine Conference. Only one loss to

Jacksonville Armada FC Jacksonville Armada FC is an American professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were founded in 2013 as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of American soccer, and played unt ...

in the regular season led the team to finish top of the table and in the conference playoffs the beat the Armada, 3–1, to win its first NPSL trophy. After advancing in the national playoffs, including winning the NPSL South Region, Miami FC 2 won the organization's first ever league championship when it defeated

FC Motown FC Motown is an American soccer club based in Morristown, New Jersey. Founded in 2012, the team currently fields teams in both the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two. In 2020, the team formed a U23 side that competes in t ...

, 3–1, for the NPSL National Championship on August 4. For the

2019 NPSL season The 2019 National Premier Soccer League season is part of the 107th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and the 17th season of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Miami FC, formerly "Miami FC 2," are the defending champi ...

, the team returned to playing as Miami FC and repeated its previous year's success by finishing atop the regular season table and winning the Sunshine Conference over

Miami United FC Miami United Football Club is an association football team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Founded in late 2012, the team made its debut in the Sunshine Conference of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in 2013. The team currently ...

, 3–2. It won the South Region for a second straight year before becoming the first club to win a second NPSL National Championship when it defeated the

New York Cosmos B New York Cosmos B were an American soccer team based in the New York metropolitan area that played in the National Premier Soccer League, the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system, as the reserve team of New York Cosmos. History ...

, 3–1, and earning the organization's eighth trophy in three years. Miami FC Historic League Performance

National Independent Soccer Association

On November 15, 2018, the NPSL announced that Miami would be a founding member in a new professional league, commencing with the " NPSL Founders Cup" competition from August to November 2019, followed by a full league schedule in 2020 at either division 2 or 3 level. However, on July 24, 2019, it was announced that Miami would instead join the

(NISA) for the inaugural Fall 2019 season. The team went undefeated through seven games during the regular season, clinching the top playoff spot in the East Coast Conference. On November 9, Miami won the NISA East Coast Championship over Stumptown Athletic, its ninth trophy in three years.

USL Championship

On December 11, 2019, former

club

Ottawa Fury FC Ottawa Fury Football Club was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Ottawa, Ontario. The club competed in the North American Soccer League and USL Championship and played its home games at TD Place Stadium. The Ottawa Fury FC were di ...

announced that it had sold its franchise rights to the Miami FC ownership group, and the club would begin competition in the league beginning with the 2020 season. Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, head coach and technical director

left the team. On November 29, former

Inter Miami CF Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (M ...

assistant coach

Anthony Pulis Anthony James Pulis (born 21 July 1984) is a Welsh football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. A journeyman for much of his career Pulis represented Portsmouth, Stoke City, ...

was named Miami FC's new head coach. In 2023, halfway through the season, Pulis stepped down as Head Coach.

Lewis Neal Lewis Ryan Neal (born 14 July 1981) is an English former professional association football, footballer. Career Neal started his career at Stoke City F.C., Stoke City, making his debut in the Football League Trophy on 6 December 2000 against Sca ...

was named Interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Antonio Nocerino Antonio Nocerino (; born 9 April 1985) is an Italian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the head coach of USL Championship club Las Vegas Lights FC. During his playing career, Nocerino played predomi ...

, a former

AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...

and

Orlando City SC Orlando City Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Owned by Zygi, Leonard, and Mark Wilf, it is the sister club of ...

player, became the next head coach.

Sponsorship

Record

Year-by-year

Average attendance

Stadium

Players and staff

Current roster

Staff

Individual records

Top goalscorers

''(Appearances listed in parentheses next to total)''

Most appearances

''(Goals scored listed in parentheses next to total)''

Managerial records

Club culture

Miami FC draw the bulk of their support from the suburbs in the south and west of Miami. The club's mascot is ''Golazo'', a seven-foot-tall

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

bird with blue and orange feathers.

Rivalries

The closest team geographically was the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994) The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team establishe ...

with games between the two sides often labelled the FL Clásico. Fixtures with the other two teams in Florida, the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

and

Jacksonville Armada Jacksonville Armada FC is an American professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were founded in 2013 as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of American soccer, and played until ...

are also keenly contested. These four teams competed for the

Coastal Cup The Coastal Cup is a trophy and soccer competition among the USL Championship (USL) teams based in Florida. Established in 2010, the trophy was originally awarded to the best team in regular season play among Florida-based franchises. Head-to- ...

over the course of the 2016 season. After the 2016 season Tampa Bay left the NASL for the

United Soccer League The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...

and Fort Lauderdale ceased operations because of financial issues. That left Jacksonville as Miami FC's only in-state rival in the NASL. Miami did however face Tampa Bay in the third round of the

2017 U.S. Open Cup The 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 104th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, oldest ongoing competition in American soccer. FC Dallas entered the competition as the 2016 U.S. Open Cup Final, defending champions, but were eliminated in the quart ...

, defeating the Rowdies by a score of 2–0. When the NASL cancelled the 2018 season, Miami and Jacksonville continued their rivalry in the NPSL in both 2018 and 2019 as both clubs continued operation. The two teams would meet again in the

2023 U.S. Open Cup The 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 108th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, the knockout domestic cup competition of American soccer. The 2023 field featured 99 teams, including a modern-era record 71 professional sides. Orlando City SC wer ...

, which saw Miami FC winning 3–1. The team also began a rivalry against

dubbed "Magic City Clasico". The teams met in the Second Round of the 2018 U.S. Open Cup where United shocked FC, 3–1, to advance. They would also meet in the 2022 Edition of the

U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held duri ...

, which Miami FC won 3–0. They also have a local rivalry with

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

team

Inter Miami Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. ...

, who they have played twice the

US Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held duri ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

and

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

. In 2024, Miami and

USL League One USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's association football, soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019 USL League One season, 2019. The United States soccer league system, Division III league is operated ...

side

FC Naples FC Naples is a professional American soccer club based in Naples, Florida. Founded in January 2024, the club began play in 2025, as part of USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid. Their home stadium is at the Paradise Coast ...

formed the Alligator Alley Derby, named after

Interstate 75 in Florida Interstate 75 (I-75) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from the Hialeah– Miami Lakes border, a few miles northwest of Miami, to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 begins its national northward j ...

between Naples and Fort Lauderdale. The two teams are set to play their first match against one another in the

2025 USL Cup The 2025 USL Cup is the second edition of the USL Cup (known as the USL Jägermeister Cup for sponsorship reasons). The competition is open to all clubs in USL Championship and USL League One. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, the winner of the ...

Supporters group

Dade Brigade are the official supporters group of Miami FC and they occupy the east stand of Pitbull Stadium which is known as the Brigade End for home games. They are named for

Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...

Honors

North American Soccer League

* Spring championship (1):

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

* Fall championship (1):

National Premier Soccer League

* Sunshine Conference Championship (2):

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

* South Region Championship (2):

* National Championship (2):

National Independent Soccer Association

* East Coast Championship (1):

Notes

References

External links

*
2018 Miami FC 2 (NPSL) Match Reports2019 Miami FC (NPSL) Match Reports
{{Florida Sports 2015 establishments in Florida Association football clubs established in 2015 North American Soccer League (2011–2017) teams National Premier Soccer League teams National Independent Soccer Association teams USL Championship teams Soccer clubs in Florida Soccer clubs in Miami Soccer clubs in South Florida