United Soccer League franchises new professional club in the Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- There's a new soccer team coming to the Central Valley.

A locally-owned team, Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club has been franchised by the United Soccer League (USL) League One, the team announced on Tuesday in a press briefing.

The new team will start playing in 2022.

It's unclear which city the team will be affiliated with, but officials plan to build a new soccer stadium "in the Central Valley region" as well as a training and development center for its players.

The Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club will play in USL One, a level below the USL Championship, which is the league the former Fresno FC played in before the team folded in 2019. The league is two steps below Major League Soccer.

The football club will unveil its new logo in January. They're asking for the community to be involved with the creative process and hold meetings to develop its brand.

This is a developing story.