Mariana Cabral, 37, moved to the United States to join Utah Royals FC’s coaching staff professional league. Formerly the head coach of Sporting Clube de Portugal’s women’s team, Cabral brings to the U.S. top-level European coaching experience.
Originally from São Miguel Island in the Azores, she has been appointed assistant coach for Utah Royals FC, a professional women’s soccer team competing in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the US.
This appointment marks a historic milestone in Cabral’s coaching career and a moment of pride for the Azorean and Portuguese-American communities.
Mariana Cabral brings solid European coaching experience, having led the women’s first team at Sporting Clube de Portugal, where she won national titles and stood out for her collective, attack-minded playing style. Her arrival in the NWSL – widely considered the most competitive women’s football league in the world – reflects the growing international recognition of Portuguese coaching talent.
For Portuguese-American communities, especially those with Azorean roots in California, New England, and beyond, her presence symbolizes the strength, resilience, and capability of Portuguese women in global sport.
Mariana Cabral, born and raised in the Azores, became one of the few individuals from the archipelago to join the coaching staff of a top-tier professional team in the United States.
Besides sports, she studied journalism in Lisbon, worked at Expresso and A Bola, and interviewed icons like Mourinho and Chastain, as well as other notable sports figures.
As assistant coach at Utah Royals FC, Mariana Cabral will work alongside head coach Jimmy Coenraets in rebuilding the team, which returned to the league in 2024. Her background as a player, journalist, and educator – combined with a modern and inclusive approach to football – makes her a valuable addition both on and off the field.
Her appointment also reaffirms Utah Royals FC’s commitment to promoting diversity, female leadership, and international excellence at a pivotal moment for the growth of women’s soccer in the United States.
Mariana Cabral’s coaching career highlights include:
2012-2016: Began coaching as an assistant for youth teams (Palmense and Estoril).
2016-2021: Joined Sporting CP, coaching the junior team, then the B team, and eventually the first team.
2018-2021: Combined coaching the B team with the role of youth academy coordinator.
2021-2024: Head coach of Sporting CP’s women’s team, achieving Super Cup and Portuguese Cup wins in her first season.
2024: Left Sporting CP after a mutual agreement to terminate her contract following the team’s Champions League exit and a loss to Benfica.
PAJ/Staff
The Azores (population 250,000) is a region of Portugal composed of nine islands. The archipelago, discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, became an Autonomous Region of Portugal in 1976. The government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores includes the Legislative Assembly, composed of 57 elected deputies, elected by universal suffrage for a four-year term; the Regional Government and Presidency, with parliamentary legitimacy, composed of a President, a Vice-President and seven Regional Secretaries responsible for the Regional Government’s executive operations. The Autonomous Region of the Azores is represented in the Council of Ministers of the Central Government by a representative appointed by the President of Portugal. According to the latest US census, over 1.3 million individuals of Portuguese descent live in the United States, the majority with roots in the Azores. It is estimated that over 20,000 US citizens live in Portugal.
