Since 2018, the Triumph men’s team has played at “other people’s homes,” said Joe Erwin, chairman and lead owner of Greenville Triumph. The team has since expanded into a full-blown club, with the Liberty a pre-professional women’s team, plus an all-star team and a youth academy. Now the club will have its own home. “We’re going to put Mauldin, SC, on the map in ways that have never been seen before,” Erwin said. The stadium isn’t just another construction project, said Mauldin Mayor Terry Merritt. It’s a place to build community and create memories. Mauldin doesn’t have a traditional downtown strip, Merritt said. So the City Council has been working to create more amenities for residents through restaurants and shops. “This stadium is one key element in delivering on that promise,” Merritt said. “It’s an investment in our community’s future.” Back when he signed onto the club, Ronaldinho said he was drawn in part because of the emphasis on youth academy teams. “For me and our group, this is an opportunity to support soccer’s growth at all ages and levels, and to be part of a community that values international presence and a unique blend of cultures,” he said in a statement from October. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Juan Ma Robles, president of Grupo Ronaldinho, spoke in Spanish, thanking the Latino community for their support. “This project is from you all, is for you all,” he said in Spanish. Later, the team held a small media-only event at its store on Main Street in downtown Greenville. Although the event was specifically for the media, a few fans waited outside the store. As Ronaldinho left the store and walked back to his van, the fans screamed and cheered and asked him for autographs. He greeted fans and signed one man’s FC Barcelona jersey before hopping in the van.