DURHAM, N.C. — The FIFA World Cup will be coming to North America in 2026. NC College midfielder Briana Pinto is hoping soccer will be even more popular in North Carolina by the time the tournament comes to the United States.
To make that happen, Pinto and his family are working to raise $100,000 through the Pinto Football Foundation to build a mini hard-surface soccer field in downtown Durham.
“My family has always loved soccer and given me the opportunity to play,” Brianna Pinto said. “Youth soccer is run on a fee-to-play basis, and a lot of kids get extra training away from their club teams, and I was very fortunate to be able to train with my dad and brothers every day.”
For her, training with her family meant more than just playing football with people close to her.
During practice, everyone involved put in a lot of effort and attention, as Briana, Malik and Hassan all inherited the same love of football as their father.
“It means life, it means presence, it means family,” Hassan Pinto said. “When I started my family, I wanted something that would bring us together, and the beautiful game is what brings us together. I was little and I was playing games. I used to bring my kids to watch me play, and it became fun for them, and after a while, they wanted to come with me. They just wanted to be a part of it.”
It won't be long before Briana, Malik and Hassan each have their own soccer careers.
Hassan's younger brother played at Elon University and Duke University before moving up to the professional ranks and playing in the United Soccer League.
Their younger daughter, Brianna, played at the University of North Carolina for coach Anson Drance, who was involved in the recruiting process when Brianna's father played there in the 1990s.
Brianna was then drafted by Gotham FC of the NWSL before being traded to NC College in 2022.
Pinto's youngest son, Malik, went on to an Ivy League school and played at Princeton University before being drafted by MLS' FC Cincinnati, where he still plays today.
Hassan said that like his father, it's all about soccer, but that doesn't mean he has to play it to be involved in the sport he loves. That's where school comes in.
“I minored in Spanish in college and majored in international business, so this was important to me because I knew I wanted to be involved in the business side of things one day,” Hassan Pinto (son) said. “So, I've been preparing myself for the last six months or so to be more in the commercial side of the game.”
The Pinto family says they are involved in many aspects of the sport through their platform, the Pinto Football Foundation.
In addition to raising funds for the new soccer complex, they also host clinics where kids can learn about soccer, nutrition and exercise.
“I think leading this foundation has given us a greater purpose in our involvement with sports,” Brianna Pinto said, “and our family wanted to share our expertise with others in the community and let them know we're rooting for Durham.”
The question remains: How long will it be before the Pinto family, a team of athletic and academic superstars, dominates North Carolina and the nation in football?
“No, I don't think so at all. It's really special to put our mark on North Carolina soccer and even U.S. Soccer and even MLS and NWSL,” Briana Pinto said, “So we just want to show people how special this sport really is and continue to give back.”
If you are interested in donating to the Pinto Futbol Foundation, click here
