Stay tuned in to our local news coverage: Listen to 90.7 WMFE on your FM or HD radio, the WMFE mobile app or your smart speaker — say “Alexa, play NPR” and you’ll be connected.

It’s official – a professional women’s soccer team is coming to Orlando. The team will start playing next year. The new team is called the Orlando Pride, and the roster will come together over the next few months.

Orlando City president Phil Rawlins said Orlando resembles the Portland market, so there’s no reason why the Orlando Pride can’t attract the same number of fans to a women’s soccer game.

“Portland drew in an average of over 15,000 a game last year,” he said. “So there’s no reason why this community can’t be drawing 15,000 plus a game for the ten home games during the regular season.”

Rawlins said he’s working to land an international superstar for the women’s team. The inaugural season is next year at the Citrus Bowl.