Editor’s Note: This feature is the second of a two-part profile series on North Carolina Courage midfielder Brianna Pinto. The first installment highlighted Pinto’s journey from local youth player to hometown star and can be read here.
“If I can leave North Carolina soccer better than I found it, I feel like that’s a successful career.”
Brianna Pinto
Brianna Pinto is a game changer. Her stoppage time winner in the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup semifinal proved to be a huge moment in the Courage’s run to a second straight title and NWSL-record seventh league trophy.
Pinto’s also a game-changer off the field. And that impact outshines any hardware. Whether through her own nonprofit, the Pinto Futbol Foundation, or through various other committees and organizations, Pinto has dedicated her off-field life to making soccer a more accessible and inclusive space for all.
Lighting the spark on the World stage
Pinto was on hand at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow back in 2018 to witness the announcement that the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup is coming to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Pinto was there because she was an integral part of the bid itself, helping bring the biggest soccer event in the world to her own backyard.
Pinto, alongside Canada’s Alphonso Davies and Mexico’s Diego Lainez, spoke at the congress about her own experience in soccer. Less than a month past her 18th birthday, it was the first time Pinto had ever given a speech; a moment she describes as her proudest accomplishment.
“To be on a platform where billions of dollars are on the line, it was definitely high stakes. I don’t think I fully understood what I was getting into during the process, but I appreciate it so much more now,” Pinto said.
Pinto worked with former U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech writer, Terry Szuplat, and a speech coach to prepare for the moment, and it ignited more than just a passion for public speaking. It sparked a desire to use her voice and platform to change the sport.
“It meant a lot to me personally because we’re talking about how soccer is a game for everybody, no matter what you look like, no matter what socioeconomic background you’re from. Seeing what the inner workings of FIFA looked like, I don’t feel like it totally represented everybody that played soccer across the world. From that experience, I thought ‘what can I do in my own community to help advance our sport and make it a place where everyone’s accepted?’” Pinto said.
The question kicked off Pinto’s work with her own foundation and the U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council.
Pinto Futbol Foundation: giving back and breaking down barriers
Pinto started the Pinto Futbol Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) in the state of North Carolina, with the mission of investing in grassroots programs designed to grow the game in underserved communities. She was honored as the Courage representative for the 2023 NWSL Nationwide Community Impact award.
“I started Pinto Futbol Foundation because I really wanted to give back to the community that’s given so much to me. It has been such a fulfilling process like building something from the ground up and creating a space where kids can play for free,” Pinto said.
Through the foundation, Pinto has held various free clinics for kids to help them fall in love with the game and give them an opportunity to practice and play. Following each clinic, Pinto sends the participants home with a soccer ball of their own so they can continue to practice.
Reflecting on her own youth career, Pinto says she was fortunate to not face some of the financial barriers that others do. Her goal is to help level the playing field for the next generation of players.
“There’s a lot of kids that pay a lot of money to get private training. I want to remove some of the financial and the structural barriers to participation and help kids fall in love with the game in a really authentic way,” Pinto said.
For Pinto, her work with her foundation is a practice of gratitude for soccer, and she plans to continue making a difference throughout her career.
“My love for this game is not what I get out of it, it’s more about what I’m able to put into it. If I can leave North Carolina soccer better than I found it, I feel like that’s a successful career,” Pinto says
U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council
Pinto also has eyes on making changes on the national scale.
She and four other young and diverse athletes ran and won seats on the U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, which makes recommendations to the federation’s board of directors on what the athletes feel is needed to push soccer forward in the U.S.
“We wanted to bring younger, more diverse voices and people from extended national teams, because they matter just as much as the senior teams. We wanted to have a broader perspective of what it means to play soccer, because U.S. Soccer oversees the entire umbrella of our system. We wanted to make a statement that no matter who you are, you have a voice and we’re going to advocate for you,” Pinto said.
Part of that advocacy was ensuring that the new U.S. Soccer headquarters in Atlanta had space for every single national team, including the senior teams, youth teams and extended teams.
“I’ve learned a lot about how our federation functions. I think there are a lot of incredible people doing very important volunteer work. All five of us were elected and we are really proud to serve, and we strive to do our best to serve the entire Federation,” Pinto said.
Pinto also serves as a member of the Membership Advisory Committee and works to collaborate with the various membership organizations and other volunteers from state-level associations to figure out how the Federation can best serve its constituents. This committee works to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States. They work to increase involvement in the sport at all levels of the game — from youth to adult, referees and coaches.
Finding balance in professional sports
Pinto says this work helps her stay balanced. She notes that an often-overlooked key to success as a professional athlete is finding an outlet away from the field.
“I think that’s why the transition from collegiate soccer to pro soccer can be really, really challenging for some because half your day you’re in school and you’re learning, but when soccer becomes your job, it’s like, ‘Okay, I trained. I’m taking care of my body. I’m doing recovery. I’m healing my body properly. What do I do with the other eight hours of the day?” Pinto said.
Pinto’s balance comes from tilting the scales of soccer in America.
“This is what brings me the greatest joy and I feel like it motivates me to continue doing well on the soccer field because ultimately with all my advocacy and all my work with my foundation, it can become even be bigger when I do well on the soccer field,” Pinto said.
After playing
Pinto wants to play the game at the highest level for as long as possible, but that hasn’t stopped her from thinking about what comes after soccer. She has plans to work for FIFA and continue furthering the advancement of the game, a foundation she laid in her college days at North Carolina.
“To fulfill a lifelong dream is just such a gift and to attend such a prestigious university and also get my business administration degree with a minor in Spanish, I feel like I’m well equipped to pursue my dreams after my playing career,” Pinto said.
Regardless of the length of her on-field career, Pinto will never stop pushing the beautiful game forward. She’s a source of pride for Courage Country and a true hometown hero, inspiring the next generation at WakeMed Soccer Park while blazing a trail for them off the field.
