Cleveland, Ohio is set to usher in a brand new professional sports team.
It’s name and branding has now been revealed and they will become known as Forest City Cleveland.
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The club, which is part of the Cleveland Soccer Group owned by Nolan Gallagher and Michael Murphy, was awarded an MLS NEXT Pro franchise back in 2022 – the same year it completed its inaugural season.
This is a developmental league that serves as a pro player pathway to those entering Major League Soccer (MLS), and is the equivalent to that of Major League Baseball’s Triple-A program,
“Cleveland has a way of staying with you,” the team wrote in a statement on their website.
“Whether you’ve spent your whole life here or haven’t been home for a spell, this place gets in your bones. So does your love for the beautiful game.
“From youth players to lifelong supporters, families to new fans, this club was built to bring people together in ways we just haven’t before.
“To grow the game, lift each other up and create something that belongs to all of us.
“Forest City Cleveland takes the pitch in 2027, competing in MLS NEXT Pro and playing in a Downtown Cleveland soccer stadium, where the energy of the city will meet the rhythm of the game.
“Forest City is a legacy name, but it doesn’t look backward. It challenges us to grow taller, together and write the next chapter of Cleveland’s story.
“This is more than a team. We believe Cleveland can become a North Star for soccer, aligning communities, creating belonging and giving people a reason to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and sing as one.
“Our goal is simple: compete fiercely, play with pride, win some titles and represent Cleveland in everything we do. Welcome to Forest City, Cleveland!”
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The name, moniker and color scheme pays homage to the city’s oldest nickname – and the city’s first ever pro baseball team – and the nature that is in and around the city in Northeast Ohio.
The color scheme blends together a Forest City Green, Lake Erie Midnight and Golden Era.
The crest depicts the historic Moses Cleaveland trees, an American sycamore tree known as the “Die Hard Tree” which is rooted in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and has survived since the city’s founding in 1796.
“There are few cities that have as great park systems and as great, luck greenery as Cleveland,” Noah Toumert, the executive director of Cleveland Pro Soccer’s community foundation, said via Scene.
“So, to be able to represent that through not just the name for a city, but the icon connecting it to something that’s a little known part of our history?” he said. “I think people will be interested to hear about.”
New stadium built with heart of team at mind
The Cleveland Sports Group (CSG) also announced an update on the construction of a soccer-specific stadium in Downtown Cleveland, due to commence in 2026.
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Located in the Gateway sports district, the stadium – which will house both the men’s and women’s professional teams – will initially seat 10,000 fans.
However, plans currently include the ability to expand that to 15,000, and as the sport continues to grow in Northeast Ohio, that figure will rise again to 20,000.
It is a stripped-down version of CSG’s initially stadium blueprint, which was projected to seat 12,500 and cost upward of $150 million.
The new proposal is not only cheaper, but can be constructed faster due to the majority of stadium components being built off-site and then assembled on location, co-founder Michael Murphy claimed to Crains Cleveland back in March 2025.
“It can go up in a year,” Murphy said. “We may have to play some games away early, or find an interim site, but we think we can be open and playing soccer in the new downtown stadium right after the World Cup (in July) next year.
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“The other nice thing about these (stadiums) is, should we need to expand because of demand or because it’s required by another league, we can do it.
“If another league said, ‘We need you to get to 17,000 (seats),’ that could be phased in.”
The new stadium for Forest City Cleveland will sit right in the heart of the the city’s sports district, just meters away from Rocket Arena – home of NBA franchise Cleveland Cavaliers and their future WNBA franchise, having been named as one of the league’s expansion teams.
It will also be located just opposite that of Progressive Field, the home of MLB team Cleveland Guardians.
“When you have a facility in a spot that’s called South Gateway, it really unlocks all kinds of value for the space,” Murphy added. “The location of the stadium is so critical.
“And to be able to put it down there where Clevelanders have been enjoying professional sports for 30 years, it really becomes a transformational project, just like Gateway was 30-plus years ago.”
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