2026 Rhode Island FC season

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Head coachKhano Smith
StadiumCentreville Bank Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
USL Championship Eastern Conference: 9th place
U.S. Open CupRound of 32
Rhode Island FC
2026 season
Head coachKhano Smith
StadiumCentreville Bank Stadium, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
USL Championship Eastern Conference: 9th place
U.S. Open CupRound of 32
USL Cup3rd place, Group 5
Highest home attendance6,758 (March 14)
Lowest home attendance1,156 (March 17)
Average home league attendance6,352
Biggest winRI 4–0 FAI (March 17)
RI 4–0 CHS (April 22)
Biggest defeatLOU 4–2 RI (March 21)
← 2025
2027 →
All statistics correct as of 2:00, April 26, 2026 (UTC).

The 2026 Rhode Island FC season is the third season for Rhode Island FC, and their third in the USL Championship, the second tier of professional soccer in the United States.

RIFC will play an unbalanced 30-game regular season schedule, plus four USL Cup games. They will play their Eastern Conference opponents twice, each home and away, and six of the teams in the Western Conference, three home and three away. The top eight teams in each conference will make the playoffs.[1]

The group stage of the 2026 USL Cup will have six teams competing in Group 5, each playing four games, two home and two away.[2]

RIFC entered in the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup and advanced to the Round of 32.[3]

RIFC's preseason included a local training camp in Rhode Island, followed by extended training in Florida at IMG Academy. RIFC played closed-door scrimmages against New England Revolution II, Sporting Club Jacksonville, Sarasota Paradise, Philadelphia Union II, and Hartford Athletic.[4] An open exhibition game against Brooklyn FC was canceled due to after-effects of the Blizzard of '26, which left 30 inches of snow in Pawtucket.

The team's season-opening game against Loudoun United FC, scheduled for March 7, was also postponed due to the blizzard. The game was moved to mid-October.[5]

Player movement

In

No. Pos. Player Transferred from Fee/notes Date Source
8 FW Brazil Leo Afonso United States Atlanta United Free transfer January 8, 2026 [6]
22 DF United States Nick Scardina United States Charlotte FC Free transfer January 9, 2026 [7]
29 GK United States Jacob Castro United States Tacoma Defiance Free transfer January 13, 2026 [8]
10 MF Argentina Agustín Rodríguez Argentina Club Atlético Lanús Loan January 14, 2026 [9]
20 FW United States Jamin Gogo Peters United States Brown University Free transfer February 16, 2026 [10]
14 FW United States Logan Dorsey United States Minnesota United FC 2 Loan February 25, 2026 [11]
25 DF United States CJ Williams United States Boston College Free transfer March 3, 2026 [12]

Out

Date Pos. Player Transaction Details New Club Ref.
December 19, 2025 MF United States Maxi Rodriguez Transfer Undisclosed fee United States Detroit City FC [13]
January 9, 2026 FW Cameroon Albert Dikwa Transfer Undisclosed fee United States Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC [14]
January 16, 2026 DF Zambia Aimé Mabika Release Mutual consent [15]
February 14, 2026 FW Cameroon Mathieu Ndongo Transfer Undisclosed fee United States Miami FC [16]

Roster

As of March 3, 2026[17]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ESP Koke Vegas
2 DF  COL Dani Rovira
3 DF  USA Aldair Sanchez
4 DF  ESP Hugo Bacharach
5 DF  USA Grant Stoneman
7 MF  JAM Dwayne Atkinson
8 FW  BRA Leo Afonso
9 FW  USA JJ Williams
10 MF  ARG Agustín Rodríguez (on loan from Lanús)
11 FW  USA Noah Fuson
12 MF  USA Clay Holstad
13 GK  USA Will Meyer
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW  USA Logan Dorsey (on loan from Minnesota United FC 2)
15 DF  CUB Frank Nodarse
17 MF  RWA Jojea Kwizera
19 MF  USA Kevin Vang
20 FW  USA Jamin Gogo Peters
21 MF  HAI Zachary Herivaux
22 DF  USA Nick Scardina
24 DF  CAN Karifa Yao
25 DF  USA CJ Williams
29 GK  USA Jacob Castro
32 DF  SEN Hamady Diop
77 MF  USA Amos Shapiro-Thompson

Competitions

Preseason Friendlies

As they did in their first two seasons, RIFC held a limited training camp in Rhode Island, before heading to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for preseason training. The team announced closed-door scrimmages against teams from MLS Next Pro and both USL leagues, ahead of the start of the regular season.[18] They also played an unannounced preseason friendly against the New England Revolution.[19]

January 28 New England Revolution II 5–4 Rhode Island FC Weymouth, MA
  • Da 29'
  • Buck 36' (pen.)
  • George 48'
  • Trialist 80'
  • Trialist 85'
 Report Not Reported Stadium: Union Point Sports Complex
Note: Closed-door scrimmage
February 1 Sporting Club Jacksonville v Rhode Island FC Bradenton, FL
Report Stadium: IMG Academy
Note: Closed-door scrimmage. Though RIFC posted pictures to social media, no results were officially released by either team.
February 7 Sarasota Paradise 1–2 Rhode Island FC Bradenton, FL
O'Dwyer Report Not reported Stadium: IMG Academy
Note: Closed-door scrimmage. No box score was posted, but a goal was scored by Chandler O'Dwyer.[20]
February 12 Philadelphia Union II v Rhode Island FC Bradenton, FL
Stadium: IMG Academy
Note: Closed-door scrimmage.
February 20 Hartford Athletic v Rhode Island FC Hartford, CT
February 28 Rhode Island FC v Brooklyn FC Pawtucket, RI
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Note: Game canceled due to the Blizzard of '26

USL Championship

Eastern Conference

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Louisville City FC 7 5 1 1 15 9 +6 16 Playoffs
2 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6 4 0 2 11 4 +7 14
3 Detroit City FC 6 3 2 1 7 4 +3 10
4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 7 3 3 1 10 12 −2 10
5 Charleston Battery 7 3 3 1 8 12 −4 10
6 Hartford Athletic 7 2 1 4 7 7 0 10
7 Indy Eleven 6 2 1 3 10 8 +2 9
8 Miami FC 7 2 2 3 7 10 −3 9
9 Rhode Island FC 6 2 2 2 11 8 +3 8
10 Birmingham Legion FC 6 1 2 3 7 8 −1 6
11 Brooklyn FC 7 2 4 1 6 10 −4 7
12 Loudoun United FC 6 0 2 4 8 11 −3 4
13 Sporting Club Jacksonville 7 0 6 1 5 14 −9 1
Updated to match(es) played on April 22, 2026. Source: USL Championship Standings
Rules for classification: 1) total wins against conference opponents; 2) goal differential against conference opponents; 3) goals scored against conference opponents; 4) head-to-head points against conference opponents; 5) points per game against conference opponents; 6) points per game against non-conference opponents; 7) fewest disciplinary points; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots

Results summary

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
6 2 2 2 11 8  +3 8 1 2 0 5 1  +4 1 0 2 6 7  −1

Last updated: April 22, 2026.
Source: Match reports

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
StadiumHAAHAHHHHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA
ResultDLLDWW
Eastern Conference8101012109
Updated to match(es) played on April 22, 2026. Source: Match reports
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Regular season

March 7 n/a Rhode Island FC v Loudoun United FC Pawtucket, RI
2:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Note: Game postponed due to the Blizzard of '26.
March 14 1 Rhode Island FC 1–1 Sporting Club Jacksonville Pawtucket, RI
4:00PM
Report
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 6,758
Referee: Thomas Snyder
March 21 2 Louisville City FC 4–2 Rhode Island FC Louisville, KY
4:00PM
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 8,121
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
March 28 3 Miami FC 2–1 Rhode Island FC Miami, FL
7:00PM
  • Rocha 22'
  • Ndongo 50'
  • Rodriguez Yellow card 68'
  • Tori Yellow card 79'
  • Milesi Yellow card 84'
 Report
Stadium: Pitbull Stadium
Attendance: 1,289
Referee: Luis Arroyo
April 4 4 Rhode Island FC 0–0 Detroit City FC Pawtucket, RI
4:00PM
Report
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 6,590
Referee: John Griggs
April 11 5 Lexington SC 1–3 Rhode Island FC Lexington, KY
7:00PM
Report
Stadium: Lexington SC Stadium
Attendance: 4,577
Referee: Brandon Stevis
April 22 6 Rhode Island FC 4–0 Charleston Battery Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM
Report Martínez Yellow card 85' Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 5,708
Referee: Elton Garcia
May 2 7 Rhode Island FC v Birmingham Legion FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
May 9 8 Rhode Island FC v Tampa Bay Rowdies Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
May 23 9 Rhode Island FC v Brooklyn FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
May 30 10 Indy Eleven v Rhode Island FC Indianapolis, IN
7:00PM Stadium: Caroll Stadium
June 13 11 Loudoun United FC v Rhode Island FC Leesburg, VA
6:00PM Stadium: Segra Field
July 4 12 Rhode Island FC v Orange County SC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
July 8 13 Sacramento Republic FC v Rhode Island FC Sacramento, CA
10:30PM Stadium: Heart Health Park
July 18 14 Rhode Island FC v Hartford Athletic Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
July 25 15 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC v Rhode Island FC Pittsburgh, PA
7:00PM Stadium: F.N.B. Stadium
August 1 16 Birmingham Legion FC v Rhode Island FC Birmingham, AL
8:00PM Stadium: Protective Stadium
August 8 17 Rhode Island FC v Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
August 15 18 Tampa Bay Rowdies v Rhode Island FC St. Petersburg, FL
7:30PM Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
August 22 19 Rhode Island FC v Monterey Bay FC Pawtucket, RI
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
August 29 20 FC Tulsa v Rhode Island FC Oneok Field
8:30PM Referee: Tulsa, OK
September 5 21 Rhode Island FC v Louisville City FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
September 12 22 Sporting Club Jacksonville v Rhode Island FC Jacksonville, FL
7:00PM Stadium: Hodges Stadium
September 19 23 Rhode Island FC v Miami FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
September 26 24 Charleston Battery v Rhode Island FC Mount Pleasant, SC
7:00PM Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex
September 30 25 Rhode Island FC v Indy Eleven Pawtucket, RI
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
October 3 26 Brooklyn FC v Rhode Island FC Brooklyn, NY
7:00PM Stadium: Maimonides Park
October 10 27 Detroit City FC v Rhode Island FC Hamtramck, MI
7:00PM Stadium: Keyworth Stadium
October 14 28 Rhode Island FC v Loudoun United FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Note: Game rescheduled due to the Blizzard of '26
October 17 29 Rhode Island FC v Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
October 24 30 Hartford Athletic v Rhode Island FC Hartford, CT
7:00PM Stadium: Trinity Health Stadium

U.S. Open Cup

Rhode Island entered in the First Round of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup, joining the competition at the same time as 16 other USL Championship teams.[21] Their first-round game against the amateur team CD Faialense of the Bay State Soccer League was played on Tuesday, March 17 at Centreville Bank Stadium.[22][23] They were drawn at home against rivals Hartford Athletic for a second-round game on April 1. RIFC beat Hartford 2–0, with two first-half goals scored from corner kicks.[24][25]

After their victory in the second round, RIFC was paired with New England Revolution in a Round of 32 game. The Revolution were seeded as designated hosts, but Gillette Stadium was not available for New England to play in their home stadium.[26] The game was played at Centreville Bank Stadium, with The Revolution as the "home" team and Rhode Island "away."[19] The Revolution took the lead on a 51st-minute goal from Diego Fagúndez. RIFC tied the game at 1–1 late in second-half stoppage time via a header from JJ Williams. After a scoreless extra time, the Revolution won the ensuing penalty-kick shootout.[27]

March 17 First Round Rhode Island FC (USLC) Rhode Island 4–0 Massachusetts CD Faialense (BSSL) Pawtucket, RI
7:00PM
Report
  • Fernandez Yellow card 77'
  • Krause Yellow card 87'
 Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 1,156
April 1 Second Round Rhode Island FC (USLC) Rhode Island 2–0 Connecticut Hartford Athletic (USLC) Pawtucket, RI
7:00PM
Fuson Yellow card 63'
 Report
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 4,857
Referee: John Matto
April 14 Round of 32 New England Revolution (MLS) Massachusetts 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3−1 p)		 Rhode Island Rhode Island FC (USLC) Pawtucket, RI
7:00PM
Report
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 6,073
Referee: Atahan Yaya
Penalties

USL Cup

Pos Lg Team
 Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 USLC Brooklyn FC 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 +3 3 Advance to knockout stage
2 USL1 Westchester SC 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 2 Possible knockout stage based on ranking
3 USLC Rhode Island FC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
4 USL1 Portland Hearts of Pine 1 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 1
5 USLC Hartford Athletic 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
6 USL1 New York Cosmos 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 −3 0
Updated to match(es) played on April 26, 2026. Source:

Matches

Group Rounds

April 25 Round 1 Hartford Athletic 0–0
(3−4 p)		 Rhode Island FC Hartford, CT
7:00PM
  • Moreira Yellow card 55'
  • Anaku Yellow card 89' Yellow-red card 90'
 Report Holstad Yellow card 90+4' Stadium: Trinity Health Stadium
Attendance: 2,983
Referee: Muhammad Kaleia
Penalties
May 16 Round 2 Portland Hearts of Pine v Rhode Island FC Portland, ME
4:00PM Stadium: Fitzpatrick Stadium
June 6 Round 3 Rhode Island FC v Westchester SC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
July 11 Round 4 Rhode Island FC v Brooklyn FC Pawtucket, RI
7:30PM Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium

Player statistics

League and Cup Honors

References

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