{"id":304399,"date":"2026-06-11T22:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T22:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/304399\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T22:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T22:00:11","slug":"jacksonvilles-soccer-culture-grows-alongside-world-cup-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/304399\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville’s soccer culture grows alongside World Cup return"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 1994 men\u2019s FIFA World Cup begat sustainable professional soccer in the United States. Three decades later, pro soccer has a foothold here and a culture that has helped develop the world\u2019s game throughout the River City.<\/p>\n

The return of the men\u2019s FIFA World Cup has illuminated the local growth.<\/p>\n

Pro soccer returned to Jacksonville last year in part because the last men\u2019s FIFA World Cup on American shores allowed a teenager to dream of a future in the sport.<\/p>\n

Sporting Jax majority owner Ricky Caplan was 13 when the United States last hosted the men\u2019s World Cup. He watched games at his grandparents\u2019 home and became enamored by the sport.<\/p>\n

Today, the Sporting Jax men\u2019s roster has the children of former Finnish, English and American internationals<\/a>. Its women\u2019s team is led by Scottish international<\/a> Georgia Brown. Sporting Jax has more than 11,000 registered youth soccer players, making it one of the largest clubs within the 105,000-member Florida Youth Soccer Association.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sporting Jax\u2019s Dida Armstrong takes a selfie with a Sporting Jax youth player following the team\u2019s loss in its season-opening match on March 7, 2026. Armstrong\u2019s father, Desmond Armstrong, represented the United States men\u2019s national team at the 1990 World Cup. | Photo by Will Brown<\/p>\n

With so many youth players, and up-close observation of the professional game, the anticipation around this year\u2019s tournament is that it will launch American soccer into the country\u2019s sporting mainstream.<\/p>\n

The United States men\u2019s national team will play Paraguay on at 9 p.m. Friday EDT; Australia on Juneteenth at 3 p.m. EDT and Turkey on June 25 at 10 p.m. EDT.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people at local soccer clubs are expected to watch the matches. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Jacksonville FC will host a watch party at Patton Park on Friday<\/a> night as the USMNT faces Paraguay. Florida Prime Sports, a St. Augustine-based club that provides soccer, baseball, pickleball and more, will use the three USMNT group stage matches<\/a> as a fundraiser for its financial assistance programs.<\/p>\n

Bars and breweries across Jacksonville<\/a> \u2014 a city where the USMNT is 5-0-1 all time \u2014 will also host World Cup watch parties this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne way I look at the World Cup is it\u2019s a game that brings people together,\u201d Marissa Lewis says. \u201cThe World Cup for Jacksonville is a chance to cultivate the community and bring soccer to the bigger stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

This fall, Lewis will begin her second season as the head coach of the Edward Waters University women\u2019s soccer program.<\/p>\n

The buzz around this year\u2019s tournament does not rival what she witnessed traveling through Europe in 2018. But, the beautiful game has a way of connecting people that no other sport can.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, more than ever, with soccer rising in America amongst women, there is very much an opportunity for teams to be a culmination of people from everywhere,\u201d Lewis says.<\/p>\n

Edward Waters\u2019 2025 team had Spaniards, Canadians, Serbians, Americans and people within the Haitian diaspora.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville boys high school soccer teams frequently feature an array of Brazilians, Serbians, Bosnians, Venezuelans, Mexicans and more.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kenia Cartagena and her son Jance Acevedo celebrate his graduation from Englewood High School on May 28, 2026. Jance was the starting goalkeeper for Englewood\u2019s soccer team in 2026. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n

Julian Sanchez says the game is growing here. He completed his third year as the boys soccer coach at Sandalwood High School during the 2025-26 academic year and led the Saints to a 9-6-3 record and a second straight postseason berth.<\/p>\n

Sanchez says there are plenty of talented players in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida who are overlooked. He hopes the World Cup will create visibility for those undercover gems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a very diverse culture,\u201d Sanchez says of the local soccer scene. \u201cYou have coaches like (Mandarin High boys soccer coach Jason) Cooley<\/a> or myself who take kids from all walks of life and make something special. \u2026 The diversity that we have here, we are very underrated and overlooked. There is a lot of passion for the sport here and a lot of talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, that talent hasn\u2019t made its way through the men\u2019s American pipeline. <\/p>\n

Rooting interest<\/p>\n

There is no one from Jacksonville on the American roster this year. Alex Freeman<\/a>, a 21-year-old defender from Broward County, is the only Floridian in the squad.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the world\u2019s largest sporting event does have a Northeast Florida connection.<\/p>\n

Cote d\u2019Ivoire forward Yan Diomande\u2019s journey to the World Cup stage included a brief spell as a student at Yulee High School.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old moved from the west African county to Northeast Florida. Diomande\u2019s American adventure later took him to DME Academy, a boarding school and sports training academy in Daytona Beach, before launching his career in Europe. Diomande was named Rookie of the Season in the German Bundesliga last month.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ivory Coast\u2019s Yan Diomande, left, and Burkina Faso\u2019s Issa Kabore challenge during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in Marrakech, Morocco, on Jan. 6, 2026. | Themba Hadebe, Associated Press<\/p>\n

What to watch at World Cup 2026<\/p>\n

There will be no shortage of stories to follow this summer.<\/p>\n

Will the U.S. men emulate the women and win a World Cup at home?<\/p>\n

Will the incomparable Lionel Messi captain Argentina to a second consecutive title, days after his 39th birthday?<\/p>\n

Will Morocco buttress its 2022 run to the semifinals with another extended run?<\/p>\n

What will Spanish wunderkind Lamine Yamal do on the world\u2019s brightest stage?<\/p>\n

Which teams will produce the upset that make the world stop?<\/p>\n

As for Sanchez, he is Colombian. His heart is with Los Cafeteros to lift the trophy. His head says Portugal and France may be the favorites.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoccer is a growing sport in the city. You can see it in the culture,\u201d Sanchez says. \u201cThere is interest in players wanting to learn, wanting to see that you can go somewhere with soccer in Jacksonville.\u201d<\/p>\n