PORTO, PORTUGAL — FC Cincinnati and FC Porto, a club competing in Portugal’s Primeira Liga (the top division of Portugal), today announced a strategic partnership with eyes towards expanding the sporting operation and brand of both clubs. With the goal of strengthening relationships in a European market and expanding FC Cincinnati’s reach as a global club, the two clubs will leverage their growing markets and commercial scale to accelerate the trajectory of both clubs.
Since opening TQL Stadium in 2021, FC Cincinnati and the stadium have hosted numerous international events, including a FIFA World Cup Qualifier, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals. As the club continues to showcase itself on the global stage, this partnership will open the door to new opportunities, both sporting and commercial.
“We’re delighted to partner with FC Porto, a historic and successful European club,” said FC Cincinnati President and Co-CEO Jeff Berding. “Our goals at FC Cincinnati are clear: to put a winning product on the field and to bring the world to Cincinnati and Cincinnati to the world. This partnership is a proud example of the growth of not only our club, but soccer in North America. We’re thrilled to collaborate with our new allies, and we look forward to the future together.”
The partnership will consist of cooperation on both the sporting and the business sides of the clubs, capitalizing on FC Cincinnati’s growing brand and FC Porto’s relevance as a European benchmark in talent development. The teams will collaborate in many areas, not limited to talent and youth development, scouting, and innovation in technology, data, and sports science. Through the partnership, FC Cincinnati will also engage with Porto to achieve key marketing development goals and explore commercial opportunities.
“This represents a new way for FC Porto to position itself on the international stage, particularly in the United States, where we are still in the process of opening our first football academy, which is another of the steps we aim to take," said FC Porto President André Villas-Boas. "We spent about a year aligning this protocol, which involves not only player development, but also scouting and the commercial strategies that may emerge because of this new relationship. It is a fundamental step in the United States, which will host the 2026 World Cup, especially in partnership with an American franchise that has been recognized as one of the most innovative and dynamic in MLS.”
FC Cincinnati continue to be a club which strives to be locally rooted and globally known and are excited about the potential of this new alliance. In the club’s 10-year history, it has proudly collaborated with clubs worldwide, including the record-setting friendly against Crystal Palace in front of 35,061 fans when the club was in the United Soccer League, and a multi-year alliance with TSG Hoffenheim in Germany and Accra Hearts of Oak in Ghana.
ABOUT FC CINCINNATI
FC Cincinnati are a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC started play in the third-tier United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered the top-flight MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph.
FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.
FC Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield, the annual trophy awarded to the team with the most points in the regular season and have finished top 10 in the standings each of the past four seasons. The club also won the 2018 USL Regular Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, as a USL club, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads.
ABOUT FC PORTO
FC Porto are one of the most decorated and historic clubs in Portugal, boasting 30 league titles, 5 European trophies, and over 85 trophies domestically, continentally and globally. Founded in 1893, the club has grown to encompass multiple men’s squads, a women’s team, and a host of other sports including basketball and handball.
“The Dragons” play at Estádio do Dragão, a 50,000+ seat stadium which opened in 2003. The stadium has hosted massive international events, including matches in UEFA Euro 2004, the 2019 UEFA Nations League Final, and the 2021 Champions League Final. It is also one of the venues in consideration for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, being hosted in Portugal, Morocco and Spain.
