FC Naples Adds First Part of Rebuild in Gio Miglietti
The 26 year old striker joins from Huntsville City of MLS NextPro
FC Naples announced its first 2026 roster addition this morning, striker Gio Miglietti.
The 26 year old joins after a season with Huntsville City in MLS NextPro, where he made 15 appearances, including 10 starts. While he did not score any goals there, his time at Tacoma Defiance in 2023 and 2024 was much more productive.
At Tacoma, Miglietti scored five goals in 2024, a season in which he missed significant time due to injury, and scored seven goals with three assists in 2023.
Before turning pro, Miglietti spent four seasons with the University of Washington, scoring 19 goals in 79 appearances. He was also part of the Seattle Sounders academy, earning minutes with Tacoma (then Seattle Sounders 2).
FC Naples cited Miglietti’s “power, composure, and a forward’s instinct” as attributes they hope he brings to the club in 2026.
“Gio brings a tenacity and determination that is essential to our style of play both defensively and offensively,” said Head Coach Matt Poland in the team’s release, “his movements in the box and his ability to score on offensive set pieces will make him a valuable asset to us.”
Where Miglietti Fits in at Naples
With the off-season transfer of breakout star striker Karsen Henderlong to Tampa Bay Rowdies of USL Championship, and the apparent departure of Jayden Onen, Naples has a need for a top striker. Miglietti should compete for the spot with returning striker Dominick Bachstein, who joined the squad in August following Justin Weiss’ sudden mid-season retirement.
Miglietti joins an already announced core of returnees from the 2025 season, including Bachstein, Ian Cerro, Julian Cisneros, Lalo Delgado, Andrés Ferrín, Max Glasser, Kevin O’Connor and Marc Torellas.
Naples also appears to be rebuilding its defense, led in 2025 by all-league center backs Jake Dengler and Brecc Evans, along with USL veteran defensive midfielder Chris Heckenberg. Dengler indicated his departure from the team, while Evans signed with Portland Hearts of Pine for 2026. Heckenberg was also not included on the list of returnees. All had been on one year contracts with Naples.
Dengler and Evans were backed by Gustavo Fernandes and Rodolfo Sulia, both of whom were also not renewed for 2026, leaving Naples with no center backs heading into the off season.
We’re tracking all USL League One signings and movements in our 2026 Transfer Tracker.