Cleveland: We're in the game
This is just the beginning. We're bringing professional women's and men's soccer teams to Cleveland, providing new pathways for athletes across Northeast Ohio and the sport fans have been waiting for.
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Soccer is a Cleveland sport.
It's no secret that Cleveland is home to some of the most energetic and loyal sports fans in the world. Soccer is nothing new here. We've been playing it for generations. From cultural clubs and community programs, competitive travel and nationally ranked college teams to majors and USL, Northeast Ohio is steeped in soccer history, talent and love for this game.
So, it's long overdue that Cleveland should have professional outdoor soccer teams. Our vision has always been to have two teams. We've already secured an MLS NEXT Pro team and will launch a women's pro soccer team too. (Announcement coming soon.)
This is the beginning of something powerful. Take a minute to learn more about what we're doing to make history in Cleveland, impact our communities and make sure the world knows our name. Let's go, Cleveland!
Learn more about: Vision | Timeline | Ownership | Board | Foundation
Join us in our vision:
The beautiful game in Cleveland.
Soccer has been played in Northeast Ohio for generations, across neighborhoods, cultures and friends.
Professional soccer belongs here.
We're trained and focused on bringing professional men's and women's soccer teams, the world's best athletes and elite competition here.
Cleveland: we're in the game!
Give our kids a new daydream.
There's something magical about that dream of playing pro in your hometown.
Cleveland Pro Soccer will build better pathways for soccer players in Northeast Ohio to pursue this dream. We have so much talent in this region, but too often the dream stops in U15 or high school.
Sure, only a small percentage of athletes make it, period. But being able to dream that BIG motivates us to find our inner best, to work harder and to love the sport more.
We're in it for the players going pro and the dreamers raring to cheer them on.
But in the end, that daydream isn't simply about making teams, scoring goals or blocking them. It's about pursuing and growing into the best version of ourselves.
We think having professional men's and women's soccer teams in town can help inspire exactly that.
Help the world see Cleveland.
Forget Cleveland Against the World.
Sports have this powerful way of helping people see and understand the world outside their own. Even realizing there's this magical place called Cleveland on the North Coast of the U.S.
We want our men's and women's professional soccer teams to connect Cleveland to the World.
By bringing the world's best athletes to play here and making a name for our place in soccer (on and off the pitch), we want people all over the world to know where Cleveland is and why it's a great place to be.
Make soccer more accessible.
Soccer is the world's sport. But too often it's gatekept, pushed out of reach and made inaccessible — to watch or play — by distance and dollars.
We're going to build a new pathway for soccer players in Northeast Ohio, and provide greater access to the sport through programs, like the mini-pitch initiative and scholarships for our academy.
Also: by bringing professional men's and women's soccer to Cleveland, we're bringing the ability to watch professional soccer closer to home.
Having a local pro soccer team to fall in love with is a privilege. And we'd like to afford that privilege to all of Northeast Ohio (and beyond).
Foster diversity in soccer.
Diversity is the essence of what makes soccer the beautiful game. It's the one sport the WHOLE planet shares. Differences in the way we play makes the game that much better and more interesting.
We don't all play it the same way, but we play it together.
Across the globe, soccer is the most diverse sport. But we have work to do in the U.S.
We want to help lead that charge.
We're committed to being intentional in our efforts to build diversity on the field, on the sidelines, in the stands and in the front office.
Win championships.
Championships look good on us.
It's not just about hoisting trophies and throwing parades (remember the parade?).
Winning championships inspires people to dream bigger, hope more and work to rise up the people around them. Sports are so much bigger than games. And Cleveland is a city of champions.
Let's go!
Advisory Board

Mike McLaughlin
Head Soccer Coach, St. Ignatius High School, 12 State and 8 National Championships

Justin Morrow
Cleveland Native, 11-year MLS player and Founder Black Players for Change

Barbara Anthony
Co-Founder & Executive Director of Play Gap

Forrest Eber
Managing Partner, Intersection Ventures

Arianna Crisicone
Director of Women's Football, N3XT SPORTS, Former Player—UCLA, Boston College, Paris Saint-Germain and Italy National Team

Kevin Varela Mendoza
Executive, 6PM Sports, Former Player—Cruz Azul, LAFC, Tampa Bay Rowdies”
The Cleveland Soccer Group Foundation
Dedicated to leaning into the power of soccer and creating positive outcomes for Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Soccer Group Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) organization.
Our communities are central to our vision for what soccer can do in Cleveland. We provide activities and programming that promote health, well-being and unity. Not to mention: access to the world's sport.
You'll see our work through community and corporate collaborations, like installation of mini pitches and other projects that provide public access to soccer.
