In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the sports world to a standstill, Orlando became the unofficial capital of North American soccer.
2020 was a mixed year on the pitch for Orlando City Soccer Club. On the men’s side, the Lions broke club records while roaring into the MLS is Back tournament final and the MLS playoffs. On the women’s side, the Orlando Pride played only four matches because they withdrew from the NWSL Challenge Cup with positive COVID-19 tests.
At a time when sports events closed down, Orlando hosted a combined 94 matches at Exploria Stadium and ESPN Wide World of Sports — only nine of which were closed to fans.