NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy name Benfica's Filipa Patao as club's first head coach ahead of 2026 season

Boston Legacy FC finally has a head coach. The expansion side, set to join the NWSL in 2026 as the league's 15th franchise, will be led by Filipa Patao, pending approval of her visa. The new manager is expected to join the club in July and get to work building the future roster. 

Patao joins Boston Legacy from Portuguese club Benfica. During her time as head coach of the women's senior team since 2020, she accumulated a 156W-28L-15D record. The manager holds a UEFA A coaching license and is in the process of earning a UEFA Pro diploma.

"I'm very excited about going to Boston. I can't wait to get to the city, meet all the people and start working," Patao said in a club release.

"The American league is extremely competitive, and that's one of the reasons I accepted this project. I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better. To transform themselves and always demand more of themselves. I know that Boston fans are passionate about the city and their teams, and I'm looking forward to building a new history with them."

Patao's coaching career began in 2007 with Benfica as a youth coach with stints alongside the U-15, U-17, and U-19 squads. At the helm of the senior team, Benfica racked up plenty of titles, including five consecutive Campeonato Nacional titles. 

She and the club strove for more during UEFA Women's Champions League when the team reached the 2023-24 quarterfinals, and Benfica was the first Portuguese club to reach the knockout stage in the tournament. Her efforts with the club earned her a nomination in the Ballon d'Or's first Women's Coach of the Year award.

"Filipa demonstrates all of the qualities that personify this club and the way we want to play, with passion, grit, and style," said Legacy FC controlling owner Jennifer Epstein. "She is a coach who loves to develop players and loves to win, and that attitude is very evident in the way she is approaching our inaugural 2026 season head-on. We can't wait to watch her build Boston's next championship team."

Boston was awarded an expansion side back in September 2023, marking women's professional soccer's return to the New England area. The ownership group has had the longest buildup to an inaugural season to date, and while there were some bumps along the way with a botched marketing campaign around its preliminary name, a stadium setback, and a pivot on their initial name -- the club has been active in listening to local and future supporters in regards to its new name and rebrand. 

The club hired Domè Guasch in 2024, and now that he and Patao are connected, the next steps for the expansion side will be to sign its first player.

"Boston is a club where we want to develop both technical identity and have a clear style of play, but also we want a coach who thinks about more than just winning games," Guasch said. "Filipa is a coach I believe can help us build a great culture where players understand they will come here to grow and learn."