Sports in Orlando, Florida facts for kids
Orlando, Florida, has a rich history of exciting sports events and successful teams. It's a city where many different sports are played, from professional leagues to college teams and even international tournaments. Orlando has seen its teams win several championships in minor leagues, showing its strong sports spirit!
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Major League Sports in Orlando
Orlando is home to several professional sports teams that play in the biggest leagues in the United States. These teams bring a lot of excitement to the city!
| Club | Sport | League | Home Stadium | Average Fans | Started | Titles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando City SC | Soccer | MLS | Exploria Stadium | 32,847 | 2015 | 0 |
| Orlando Magic | Basketball | NBA | Amway Center | 16,785 | 1989 | 0 |
| Orlando Pride | Soccer | NWSL | Exploria Stadium | N/A | 2016 | 0 |
| Orlando Valkyries | Volleyball | PVF | Addition Financial Arena | 5,000 | 2023 | 0 |
Orlando Magic: NBA Basketball
Orlando is the home of the Orlando Magic, a professional basketball team in the NBA. They play their games at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando. The Magic have hosted the important NBA All-Star Game twice, once in 1992 and again in 2012.
Orlando City SC: MLS Soccer
Orlando City SC joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2015 as the league's 20th team. In 2022, Orlando City SC won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is like the national championship for soccer in the U.S. They won by beating Sacramento Republic SC 3-0.
The team plays at Exploria Stadium in downtown Orlando, which was finished in 2017. Before that, they played their first two seasons at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.
Orlando has also hosted the MLS All-Star Game twice. In 1998, the U.S. All-Stars beat the World All-Stars. In 2019, the Spanish team Atlético Madrid played against the MLS All-Stars.
Orlando Pride: NWSL Women's Soccer
The Orlando Pride is a professional women's soccer team. They joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2016. The NWSL is the top league for women's soccer in the United States.
Orlando Valkyries: Pro Volleyball
The Orlando Valkyries are a professional indoor volleyball team. They are one of the first teams in the new Pro Volleyball Federation. The Valkyries started playing in the league's first season in 2024. They play their home games at Addition Financial Arena.
UCF Knights: College Sports
The UCF Knights are the sports teams of the University of Central Florida (UCF). They compete in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. The UCF Knights football team has won several championships in their conferences, including the Conference USA and American Athletic Conference titles.
UCF's women's soccer team has also been very successful. A famous player, Michelle Akers, who is known worldwide, played for them. The university has great sports facilities like FBC Mortgage Stadium for football and Addition Financial Arena for basketball. They also have stadiums for baseball, soccer, track and field, and volleyball.
Camping World Stadium, also known as the Citrus Bowl, is another important stadium in Orlando. It hosts college football games like the Pop-Tarts Bowl and the Citrus Bowl. It also holds high school football finals and the annual Florida Classic college football game.
International Soccer Events
Orlando has been a host city for many big international soccer tournaments.
1994 FIFA World Cup
In 1994, Orlando's Citrus Bowl hosted five matches for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Four of these were group-stage games, and one was a Round of 16 match. Teams like Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Morocco played here. Over 60,000 fans attended each of these exciting games!
1996 Summer Olympics Soccer
Orlando also hosted soccer matches for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Both men's and women's teams played group stage games here. Each game had an average of over 20,000 fans.
Recent International Matches
The Florida Cup started in 2015. It brings international soccer clubs from Europe and South America to play in central Florida stadiums, including FBC Mortgage Stadium and Exploria Stadium.
In 2016, Camping World Stadium hosted three matches for the Copa América Centenario. In 2017, Exploria Stadium hosted a qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The United States team played against Panama.
In 2018, Exploria Stadium hosted two matches for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. This tournament featured top women's national teams from England, France, Germany, and the United States.
Orlando is also one of the cities being considered to host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Minor League and Semi-Pro Teams
Orlando has also had many successful minor league and semi-professional sports teams over the years.
Soccer
The first version of Orlando City SC played in a league called USL Pro from 2011 to 2014. They won the 2011 USL Pro Championship. After the main Orlando City SC team joined MLS, the organization created Orlando City B. This team helps younger players develop their skills.
Another team, the Central Florida Kraze, played in the Premier Development League, which is a top amateur league. They won the league championship in 2004.
Baseball
Professional baseball has been played in Orlando since 1919. Tinker Field was a historic baseball stadium next to Camping World Stadium. It was a spring training home for Major League Baseball teams like the Minnesota Twins.
The Atlanta Braves used to train at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. This stadium also hosted some professional baseball games.
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey became popular in Orlando in the 1990s. The Orlando Solar Bears team started playing in the ECHL league in 2012. They play their home games at the Amway Center. The Solar Bears are named after a very successful team from the past, the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League, who won a championship in 2001.
Women's Football
Orlando is home to the Orlando Anarchy, a women's professional football team. They play in the WFA (Women's Football Alliance). The Orlando Anarchy have been playing since 2010 and won the WFA Division 3 National Championship in 2018.
Orlando Sports Venues
Orlando has many impressive stadiums and arenas where sports events take place.
| Venue | Capacity (Fans) | Opened | Owner | Main Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FBC Mortgage Stadium | 44,206 | 2007 | University of Central Florida | UCF Football |
| UCF Soccer and Track Stadium | 2,000 | 1991 | University of Central Florida | UCF Soccer, Track and Field |
| John Euliano Park | 3,900 | 2001 | University of Central Florida | UCF Baseball |
| Addition Financial Arena | 9,465 | 2006 | University of Central Florida | UCF Basketball, Orlando Valkyries |
| The Venue at UCF | 2,500 | 1990 | University of Central Florida | UCF Volleyball |
| UCF Softball Complex | 600 | 2002 | University of Central Florida | UCF Softball |
| Amway Center | 20,000 | 2010 | City of Orlando | Orlando Magic, Orlando Solar Bears |
| Exploria Stadium | 25,500 | 2017 | Orlando City SC | Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride |
| Camping World Stadium | 60,219 | 1936 | City of Orlando | Orlando Guardians (former) |
Other Sports and Events
Orlando hosts many other exciting sports events and activities.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a major professional golf tournament held in Orlando every year. The Citrus Bowl has hosted WWE's huge wrestling event, WrestleMania, twice. The Amway Center has also hosted major WWE events like the Royal Rumble. The WWE Performance Center, which is a training school for professional wrestlers, is located in Orlando.
The annual Community Effort Orlando (CEO) is one of the biggest fighting game tournaments in the country. It brings together thousands of players from all over the world.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA season finished its games in a special "NBA Bubble" at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.
Famous Athletes from Orlando
Many amazing athletes are from Orlando or have lived there:
- Baseball players: A. J. Pierzynski, Johnny Damon, Carlos Peña, Frank Viola, Pedro Feliz, and Ken Griffey Jr.
- American football players: Warren Sapp, Chris Johnson, Brandon Meriweather, Deacon Jones, Brandon Siler, Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Marshall, Blake Bortles, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
- Basketball players: Chandler Parsons, Amar'e Stoudemire, Darius Washington, and Shaquille O'Neal
- Soccer player: Michelle Akers
- Volleyball players: Áurea Cruz, Adora Anae, Shainah Joseph, and Wilmarie Rivera
- Many golfers, including Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara.
