Fort Lauderdale United FC is an American professional women's soccer club based in Broward County, Florida, that competes in the USL Super League (USLS), one of two Division I women's soccer leagues in the United States.[1] The team plays its home matches at a new soccer-specific stadium constructed at Nova Southeastern University.
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| Full name | Fort Lauderdale United Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | FTL UTD | |||
| Founded | 21 November 2023 | |||
| Stadium | Beyond Bancard Field at NSU | |||
| CEO | Tommy Smith | |||
| Head coach | Paul Jennison (interim) | |||
| League | USL Super League | |||
| 2024–25 | Runners-up | |||
| Website | ftlutd.com | |||
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The club is principally owned by Tommy Smith, who serves as chair and CEO.[2]
History
editOn November 21, 2023, the USL Super League announced that it had awarded a franchise to Fort Lauderdale, making it the first professional women's soccer team in South Florida.[3]
On January 25, 2024, former Premier League and MLS player Tyrone Mears was announced as the team's first head coach.[4] On May 14, 2024, Felicia Knox was revealed as the team's first ever signing after being drafted by Angel City FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft.[5] One day later, the club welcomed defender Laveni Vaka who made history as Tonga's first female professional soccer player.[6] On June 26, 2024, the club announced its full coaching staff, with Alissa Rogers as Associate Head Coach and former Fort Lauderdale Strikers star Aly Hassan as Director of Recruitment.[7]
On April 29, 2025, the team announced the launch of a men's side that is set to play in USL League One in 2026.[8]
In their inaugural season, Fort Lauderdale finished fourth in the table and qualified for the 2024–25 USL Super League playoffs. Fort Lauderdale went on to be Carolina Ascent 2–1 in extra time to advance to the Finals.[9] Taking Tampa Bay Sun FC into extra-time in the final, Fort Lauderdale eventually fell 1–0, finishing Runners-up on the season.[10]
Stadium
editIn November 2024, the team's home stadium at Nova Southeastern University on the site of the former Miami Dolphins training facility was rebranded from NSU Soccer Field to Beyond Bancard Field.[11][12] The $7 million project, which seats nearly 7,000 fans, is the result of a multi-year exclusive naming-rights agreement between FTL UTD and Beyond Bancard, a provider of payment-processing solutions.[12][13][14]
Included in the agreement are exclusive stadium-wide Beyond Bancard branding and a new stadium logo featured on all signage and LED boards. Beyond Bancard also acts as the team’s presenting sponsor for weekly kids’ soccer clinics and participates in giveaways, content series, and exclusive email offers for FTL UTD fans.[12]
Identity
editThe name and crest were unveiled on February 29, 2024. The Fort Lauderdale United FC crest features the initials FTL prominently displayed, meant to intertwine like the canals of the city. The “glint” represents the vibrant sun bouncing off the waters the region is known for. The club’s colors represent Fort Lauderdale’s world-renowned beaches and shallow waters, with seafoam green contrasting the ocean blue.[15]
Sponsorship
editPlayers and staff
editCurrent roster
edit- As of May 4, 2026[18]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Academy players
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Former players
editFor details of former players, see Category:Fort Lauderdale United FC players and List of Fort Lauderdale United FC players.
Staff
edit- As of February 11, 2026[2]
| Front office | |
|---|---|
| Position | Name |
| Founder & chairman | Tommy Smith |
| President of soccer | Tyrone Mears |
| General manager | Aly Hassan |
| Chief financial officer | Stan Jansta |
| Technical staff | |
| Head coach | Paul Jennison (interim) |
| Performance coach | Tyler Raborn |
| Equipment manager | Tannor Smoot |
| Technical coach | Ivan Arenas |
| Technical coach | Rafael Quero |
Records
editYear-by-year
edit- As of match played on March 28, 2026
| Season | League | Regular season | Playoffs | Avg. attendance | Top Goalscorer | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pos | Name(s) | Goals | ||||
| 2024–25 | USLS | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 35 | 33 | 42 | 4th | Runners-up | 2,306 |  Addie McCain |
10 |
| 2025–26 | USLS | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 41 | 20 | 9th | TBD | 1,726 | Kiara Locklear |
5 |
| Total | 49 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 59 | 74 | – | – | – | – | Kiara Locklear |
12 | |
Head coaching record
edit- As of March 28, 2026
Only competitive matches are counted.*
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrone Mears[4] |  England |
January 25, 2024 | September 16, 2025 | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 47 | 41 | 41.18% |
| Ali Rogers[19] |  United States |
September 16, 2025 | February 10, 2026 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 16.67% |
| Paul Jennison (interim) | England |
January 11, 2026 | present | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 0.00% |
Team records
edit- As of May 18, 2026.[20][21] Current players in bold. Statistics are updated once a year after the conclusion of the USL Super League season.
| Player | Appearances | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Nat. | Pos. | United career | USLS | Playoffs | Total |
| 1 | Sh'Nia Gordon | |
DF | 2024– | 56 | 2 | 58 |
| 2 | Taylor Smith | |
MF | 2024– | 52 | 2 | 54 |
| 3 | Jasmine Hamid | |
FW | 2024–2026 | 45 | 2 | 47 |
| 4 | Kiara Locklear | |
FW | 2024– | 44 | 2 | 46 |
| 5 | Darya Rajaee | |
MF | 2024–2026 | 37 | 2 | 39 |
| 6 | Laurel Ansbrow | |
DF | 2025 | 29 | 2 | 31 |
| Laveni Vaka |  |
DF | 2024– | 31 | 0 | 31 | |
| 8 | Addie McCain | |
MF | 2024–2025 | 28 | 2 | 30 |
| 9 | Julia Grosso | |
DF | 2025– | 27 | 2 | 29 |
| 10 | Kelli Van Treeck | |
MF | 2025– | 28 | 0 | 28 |
| Player | Goals scored | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Nat. | Pos. | United career | USLS | Playoffs | Total |
| 1 | Jasmine Hamid | |
FW | 2024–2026 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Kiara Locklear | |
FW | 2024– | 11 | 2 | 13 | |
| 3 | Addie McCain | |
MF | 2024–2025 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Sh'Nia Gordon | |
DF | 2024– | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | Kelli Van Treeck | |
MF | 2025– | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Ella Simpson | |
DF | 2025– | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
References
edit- ↑ "USL Super League adds team in Fort Lauderdale for inaugural 2024-25 season". equalizersoccer.com. The Equalizer. November 21, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- 1 2 "Front Office". Fort Lauderdale United FC. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ "USL Super League awards franchise to Fort Lauderdale". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. November 21, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- 1 2 "Super League Fort Lauderdale Appoints Tyrone Mears as Club's First Head Coach". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. January 25, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale United FC announces first player, Felicia Knox". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale United FC makes history signing Tonga's first female professional soccer player, Laveni Vaka". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. May 15, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale United FC rounds out its coaching staff with dynamic Associate Head Coach and Head of Recruitment Appointments". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. June 26, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ↑ "United Soccer League, Fort Lauderdale United FC Announce Men's League One Soccer Team in 2026". Fort Lauderdale United FC. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ↑ Pohly, Kaitlyn (June 13, 2025). "Fort Lauderdale United silences its doubters heading into inaugural USL final". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ↑ Baulf, Celia (June 15, 2025). "Tampa Bay Sun FC claim inaugural USL Super League Championship, beat Fort Lauderdale United FC in overtime thriller | Goal.com US". www.goal.com. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ↑ "Nova Southeastern University to be Home to Super League Fort Lauderdale Women's Professional Soccer Team". news.nova.edu. Nova Southeastern University. November 21, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Fort Lauderdale United FC & Beyond Bancard Strike Multi-Year Seven Figure Naming Rights Deal". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ↑ "Nova Southeastern University stadium to host new pro soccer team, undergo $7M renovation". ftlutd.com. Fort Lauderdale United FC. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ↑ "About Beyond Bancard". Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ↑ "FORT LAUDERDALE UNITED FC, ANNOUNCES NAME AND CREST". Fort Lauderdale United FC. February 29, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale United FC signs multi-year partnership with Nike". Fort Lauderdale United FC. March 18, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ "OMEGAXL SPORT signs historic partnership with Fort Lauderdale United FC". Fort Lauderdale United FC. August 10, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ "2025/26 ROSTER". Fort Lauderdale United FC. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Ali Rogers Named Head Coach of Fort Lauderdale United FC". Fort Lauderdale United FC. September 16, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Summary - Fort Lauderdale United - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale United FC Player Stats". USL Super League. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
