Jesus Partida Shares How Reno Helped His Professional Soccer Player

Jesus Partida, 27, born in Reno, Nevada, was a former midfielder for Central Valley FC. His brother Kevin and he are some of the most popular soccer players from Reno.  

Before becoming a professional soccer player, Partida played for Sparks High School, where he helped the school win the state championship and UNLV. Currently, Partida isn’t involved in the soccer world.  

With the World Cup coming to the United States in 2026, Noticiero Móvil interviews Partida to reflect on his soccer journey, along with his thoughts on the event.

Noticiero Móvil: What was your motivation for playing soccer? How did you get into it when you were younger?  

Jesús Partida: I was the little brother of two other siblings [including older brother Kevin Partida], so growing up, both my older brothers and my dad were already playing pretty much all the time. Soccer was on TV all the time. … I always remember having a ball at my feet.  

I don’t even remember choosing to play it. By the time I was able to sign up for a team at four years old, I just went ahead, told my parents, and I went from there.  

Noticiero Móvil: What was the first team you signed up for? Do you remember what it was called?  

Partida: It was [a local team with] the name of a Mexican league soccer team, Santos. That was the name of the first team I played for.   

Noticiero Móvil: Who were some of your main coaches and teammates that helped you throughout your development?  

Partida: A lot of it was knowing someone’s dad and getting a team of kids together as much as they could. I was just hoping they would show up then. As I got older, I started playing club soccer, which is like a traveling thing, where you travel and play tournaments.  

That’s when two of my coaches, one was Arnie and the other one was Ernesto; those two were the ones who helped me from when I was 12 years old.   

Also, my family was huge. If I wasn’t playing with the team, I was always trying to practice with my older brother or do something like that. My dad and my brothers were huge for my development, too.  

Noticiero Móvil: What was it like to play soccer at UNLV for four years? Would you have gone to UNR if they had a soccer team?  

Partida: Honestly, it was probably the best choice I made in terms of experience. I was there for four years, and it was the best time I’ve had. The coaches we had were really invested in the program and were trying to grow it. It really became something serious, so honestly, it was a really good time. I got to play against great players and players at a tough level. 

I got to visit and play against a lot of great universities. So, I wouldn’t change anything about going to UNLV. We’re very family-oriented, so I honestly wouldn’t doubt that I would have stayed home to play in front of my family, especially if UNR had a Division 1 team. I probably would have stayed home and done that.  

Noticiero Móvil: After UNLV, you went to Central Valley FC in Fresno. What was that experience like for you, with it being your first professional team? How different was it compared to UNLV?  

Partida: I was very different. It was good. It was a great experience for being able to play in a professional environment. USL (United Soccer League) is really growing, so it’s a great league to develop (for players), especially for younger players. Now it’s huge, so it’s a great thing to be a part of it.  

It’s a huge difference compared to being a student-athlete. When you get to the professional level, it’s a job, so everybody’s playing to survive. It gets a lot more serious. Every aspect is more serious. There are people who are playing now, and those people are trying to get to the next level by playing in MLS (Major League Soccer). It’s a really big difference.

Noticiero Móvil: During your first professional appearance for Central Valley FC, you scored the game-winning goal. What was that experience like?  

Partida: It was great. Honestly, I had really great teammates at Fresno. I definitely felt the love after the game, and just being able to score a goal in a professional setting was a good experience.  

Noticiero Móvil: The last team you were on was Central Valley FC in 2024. Are you currently involved in soccer, and do you have future plans in the sport?

Partida: Fresno was actually the last professional team I played for. I played for them for two years, in 2023 and 2024. After that, I wasn’t able to find a club anymore. 

I just played in the UPSL (United Premier Soccer League). It was a semi-pro league. Honestly, it’s pretty difficult to get back into that pool of professional soccer because I’m getting older in terms of athletics.  

Teams are looking for 17- and 18-year-olds rather than 26-year-olds now. If there was an opportunity to get back into that setting, I definitely would be up for it, but as of now, it’s not really something I’m thinking of.  

Noticiero Móvil: What’s your opinion on the general soccer community in Reno? How do you think it could improve?  

Partida: I think there’s so much talent. I think my brother and I were lucky in the sense of being able to get out and get experience. Obviously, my brother is still going. I would say he’s the most decorated player in Reno; he’s played professionally the longest. I think he’s the only player to play MLS minutes.  

There’s been so much talent in Reno, but it just hasn’t been able to get recruited or seen because it’s a smaller city. I think there’s a lot of potential, especially with the kids now. I see a lot of potential in my nephew, who is 13, and so I’ve been taking him to a lot of games.  

I’m seeing a lot of the kids playing, and I think if there were just more attention on Reno, I think there would be a lot more opportunities for these kids to get out and find collegiate and professional opportunities.  

Obviously, I think Reno has huge potential for soccer. I heard about that new soccer team that is supposed to come. I hope that actually follows through because I think it’ll give all these younger kids a home team to actually play professionally and hopefully focus on athletics rather than things outside of soccer. Reno is a pretty big city, and there are a lot of distractions as well.  

Noticiero Móvil: What are your thoughts on the World Cup coming next year to the US in 2026? Do you have plans to catch a game?  

Partida: I love it just because it’s such a huge event; you can’t ignore it. I think it’s going to make a huge impact on soccer here in the US, so I’m excited for that.  

I don’t know when the next World Cup is going to be close enough to go watch a game. I’ll definitely try to watch a game in Mexico because that’s where my family is from. I have to go watch a game. Watching a game here would be amazing.

Noticiero Móvil: What are your general thoughts on soccer in the US? Do you think it’s heading in the right direction, and where do you see it going forward?   

Partida: I think it’s definitely going in the right direction now in terms of the younger kids getting an opportunity at the professional level. Seeing places like Europe and even Mexico, I feel like there’s an easier pathway to join, even at like 10-12 years old. You’re able to join a professional club if you’re good enough for free, and just play there until you’re good enough to be on the first team.  

I think that style is finally coming to the United States. I think it’s the best thing because there’s so much talent after the youth level, which is only going to make the game grow more. I mean, players like Lamine Yamal from Spain are going pro at sixteen.  

So, I think you’re going to see more of that in the United States with this type of development. I think it’s the best thing. The term pay-to-play is huge in the US, which sucks because it doesn’t allow the best kids to be seen at a higher level, because it’s too expensive to play for certain teams that are going to certain tournaments. Certain scouting isn’t available for them because they can’t afford it. I think that’s finally becoming less of a fact, which I think is the biggest thing that needs to change.

This article was written by Cameron Perkins, a Spanish and Journalism dual-major, during his last semester fall 2025, at the University of Nevada, Reno.