Club De Lyon FC Joins NPSL for the 2025 and 2026 Seasons
CDL joins the NPSL but plans to Remain in NISA
As Kartik Krishnaiyer of Beyond the 90 first reported last Thursday, the National Premier Soccer League announced that Club De Lyon FC has joined the NPSL and will begin play in the 2025 season. The last time the NPSL had a team in Orlando was the Central Florida Panthers SC from 2019-2022. NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera issued the following statement on adding Club De Lyon FC to the league.
“The NPSL is pleased to have Club De Lyon FC join the league,” NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “Orlando is an important soccer market for the conference, bridging the gap between Miami and West Palm Beach to the south and Jacksonville to the north.”
The club's owner and CEO, Fabian Pourrain, gave some insight into Club De Lyon's commitment to developing players to get games while preparing for whatever NISA tournaments or season occurs later this year.
“Club De Lyon is committed to giving our players the opportunity to develop, advance, and realize their dreams of playing professional soccer,” Pourrain said. “The NPSL was the obvious choice to achieve these goals. The quality of the brand, the professional operations, and the organization of the NPSL most closely resembles the professional environment we want to provide to our players, our staff, and our supporters.”
Pourrain is a former soccer and rugby player who has coached and managed professional clubs in Argentina. He is also an entrepreneur in Central Florida. He took an amateur club to the professional ranks, playing in the UPSL and NISA Nation and participating in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) for the last two seasons. CDL plans to remain in NISA for the 2025 and 2026 seasons and simultaneously field teams in both leagues. Last week, NISA announced a fall league tournament while planning to return to a full schedule for the 2026 season as the pro league resets its enterprise and membership.
In case you missed it, Kartik Krishnaiyer shared a video on Beyond the 90 that gives more insight into Club De Lyon FC’s decision to join the NPSL. You can check it out here.
Club De Lyon FC will play in the Gulf Coast Sunshine Conference and face clubs such as FC Florida, Global Soccer Pathways, Miami Dutch Lions FC, Jacksonville Armada FC U-23, Naples United FC, New Orleans Jesters, and PSC FC Florida. CDL will play its home matches this summer at Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, FL.