2026 Charlotte FC season
| 2026 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting director | Zoran Krneta | |||
| Head coach | Dean Smith | |||
| Stadium | Bank of America Stadium | |||
|
| ||||
The 2026 Charlotte FC season is the team's fifth season in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. The team, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was established in 2019 and made their debut in the 2022 season. The 2026 season will be the third for Charlotte FC under English head coach Dean Smith, who was hired in December 2023 as the team's third manager.[1]
Squad information
[edit]- As of August 15, 2026[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Out on loan
[edit]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Coaching staff
[edit]| Technical staff | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dean Smith |
| Associate head coach | Miles Joseph |
| Assistant coach | Gary Dicker |
| Sporting director | Zoran Krneta |
| Head of goalkeeping | Aron Hyde |
| Head video coach | Rohan Sachdev |
Player movement
[edit]Transfers In
[edit]| Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Transfer[5] | January 1, 2026 | ||
| MF | Transfer[6] | January 1, 2026 | ||
| DF | Waivers[7] | January 15, 2026 | ||
| GK | Transfer[8] | January 20, 2026 | ||
| DF | Free agent[9] | January 29, 2026 | ||
| GK | Transfer[10] | February 6, 2026 | ||
| DF | Transfer[11] | February 20, 2026 | ||
| FW | Transfer[12] | April 10, 2026 | ||
| MF | Free[13] | July 13, 2026 | ||
| FW | Transfer[14] | September 12, 2026 | ||
Transfers Out
[edit]| Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Transfer[15] | January 1, 2026 | ||
| DF | Free[16][17] | January 8, 2026 | ||
| FW | Free[16][18] | January 12, 2026 | ||
| DF | Free[16][19] | January 20, 2026 | ||
| MF | Transfer [16][20] | July 31, 2026 |
Loans Out
[edit]| Pos. | Player | Loaned to | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| MF | January 8, 2026[21] | ||
| GK | February 6, 2026[22] |
Draft picks
[edit]MLS Re-Entry Draft picks
[edit]| 2024 Charlotte FC Re-Entry Picks | ||||||
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | Team | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Stage 1) | 22 | PASS | ||||
| 2 (Stage 2) | 22 | PASS | ||||
MLS SuperDraft picks
[edit]| 2025 Charlotte FC Picks | ||||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | MF | Stanford Cardinal | |||
| 2 | 52 | DF | Tulsa Golden Hurricane | |||
| 3 | 82 | GK | South Florida Bulls | |||
Competitions
[edit]Win Draw Loss
All matches are in Eastern Time.
Preseason
[edit]| January 23 | Charlotte FC | 3–1 | Charleston Battery | |
| Report |
| January 31 | Sporting Kansas City | 0–1 | Charlotte FC | |
| Report |
|
| February 7 Coachella Valley Invitational | San Jose Earthquakes | 1–0 | Charlotte FC | Indio, California |
|
Report | Stadium: Empire Polo Club |
| February 14 Coachella Valley Invitational | Charlotte FC | 2–1 | Minnesota United FC | Indio, California |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Empire Polo Club |
Overview
[edit]| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Major League Soccer | February 21, 2026 | November 7, 2026 | Matchday 1 | TBD | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 35.71 |
| MLS Cup playoffs | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| Leagues Cup | August 4, 2026 | TBD | League Phase | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| U.S. Open Cup | April 15, 2026 | April 28, 2026 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 50.00 |
| Total | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 30 | 25 | +5 | 37.50 | ||||
Last updated: May 23, 2026
Source: Competitions
Major League Soccer (MLS)
[edit]Standings
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | New England Revolution | 27 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 45 | 36 | +9 | 46 | Qualification for round one |
| 3 | Inter Miami CF | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 46 | |
| 4 | Charlotte FC | 27 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 43 | |
| 5 | Chicago Fire FC | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 42 | |
| 6 | Philadelphia Union | 27 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 54 | 44 | +10 | 39 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Houston Dynamo FC | 27 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 34 | 32 | +2 | 44 |
| 8 | St. Louis City SC | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 45 | 36 | +9 | 44 |
| 9 | Charlotte FC | 27 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 43 |
| 10 | Chicago Fire FC | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 42 |
| 11 | Los Angeles FC | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 43 | 30 | +13 | 41 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Results summary
[edit]| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 27 | 43 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 17 | +9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 21 | 0 |
Last updated: September 26, 2026
Source: MLS Results
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference
Results by round
[edit]A = Away; H = Home; N = Neutral; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; = Conference leader; = Playoffs berth; = Wild card berth
Match results
[edit]Win Draw Loss Void Postponed
| February 21 1 | St. Louis City SC | 1–1 | Charlotte FC | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2:30 pm EST | Report | Stadium: Energizer Park Attendance: 22,423 Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| February 28 2 | LA Galaxy | 3–0 | Charlotte FC | Carson, California |
| 10:30 pm EST | Report | Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 20,205 Referee: Joe Dickerson |
| March 7 3 | Charlotte FC | 3–1 | Austin FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EST | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 35,611 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| March 14 4 | Charlotte FC | 0–0 | Inter Miami CF | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 34,780 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| March 21 5 | Charlotte FC | 6–1 | New York Red Bulls | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 27,166 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| April 4 6 | Charlotte FC | 2–1 | Philadelphia Union | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 25,865 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| April 11 7 | Charlotte FC | 1–2 | Nashville SC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 26,012 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
| April 18 8 | New York City FC | 1–2 | Charlotte FC | New York, New York |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Citi Field Attendance: 20,997 Referee: Tori Penso |
| April 22 9 | Orlando City SC | 4–1 | Charlotte FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Inter&Co Stadium Attendance: 16,089 Referee: Filip Dujic |
| April 25 10 | Nashville SC | 4–2 | Charlotte FC | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 8:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Geodis Park Attendance: 30,109 Referee: Joe Dickerson |
| May 2 11 | New England Revolution | 1–0 | Charlotte FC | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 22,831 Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere |
| May 9 12 | Charlotte FC | 2–2 | FC Cincinnati | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 26,252 Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| May 13 13 | Charlotte FC | 0–1 | New York City FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:00 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 23,903 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| May 16 14 | Charlotte FC | 3–1 | Toronto FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 28,158 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| May 23 15 | Charlotte FC | 1–0 | New England Revolution | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 24,640 Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| July 22 16 | Charlotte FC | 2–2 | Atlanta United FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 8:00 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 28,077 Referee: Sergii Boiko |
| July 25 17 | New York Red Bulls | 0–2 | Charlotte FC | Harrison, New Jersey |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Sports Illustrated Stadium Attendance: 22,087 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| August 1 18 | Chicago Fire FC | 2–1 | Charlotte FC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 8:30 pm EDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 32,183 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| August 15 19 | Charlotte FC | 3–1 | Columbus Crew | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 25,470 Referee: Filip Dujic |
| August 19 20 | Toronto FC | 3–3 | Charlotte FC | Toronto, Ontario |
| 7:30 pm EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 19,909 Referee: Alexis Da Silva |
| August 22 21 | Charlotte FC | 3–1 | D.C. United | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 28,257 Referee: Elijio Arreguin |
| August 29 22 | Atlanta United FC | 0–2 | Charlotte FC | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 7:30 pm EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 40,385 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| September 5 23 | Charlotte FC | 0–0 | Houston Dynamo FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 25,450 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| September 9 24 | CF Montréal | 1–2 | Charlotte FC | Montreal, Quebec |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Saputo Stadium Attendance: 12,324 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
| September 12 25 | FC Cincinnati | 3–3 | Charlotte FC | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: TQL Stadium Attendance: 25,513 Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere |
| September 19 26 | D.C. United | 1–2 | Charlotte FC | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 15,073 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| September 26 27 | Charlotte FC | 0–1 | Chicago Fire FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 31,011 Referee: Chris Penso |
| October 10 28 | Charlotte FC | v | FC Dallas | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium |
| October 14 29 | Columbus Crew | v | Charlotte FC | Columbus, Ohio |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Stadium: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field |
| October 17 30 | Philadelphia Union | v | Charlotte FC | Chester, Pennsylvania |
| 2:30 pm EDT | Stadium: Subaru Park |
| October 24 31 | Portland Timbers | v | Charlotte FC | Portland, Oregon |
| 10:30 pm EDT | Stadium: Providence Park |
| October 28 32 | Charlotte FC | v | CF Montréal | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium |
| October 31 33 | Charlotte FC | v | Orlando City SC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 1:00 pm EDT | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium |
| November 7 34 | Inter Miami CF | v | Charlotte FC | Miami, Florida |
| 4:00 pm EST | Stadium: Nu Stadium |
U.S. Open Cup
[edit]| April 15 Round of 32 | Charlotte FC | 6–0 | | Matthews, North Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Report | Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews Attendance: 3,684 Referee: Matthew Thompson |
| April 28 Round of 16 | Charlotte FC | 0–2 | | Matthews, North Carolina |
| 7:00 pm EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews Attendance: 3,315 Referee: Sergii Boiko |
Leagues Cup
[edit]| August 4 1 | Charlotte FC | 3–0 | | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 22,530 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
| August 7 2 | Charlotte FC | 2–0 | | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 15,579 Referee: Julio Luna |
| August 11 3 | Charlotte FC | 0–1 | | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 15,561 Referee: Kwinsi Williams |
References
[edit]- ↑ Connuck, Shane (December 18, 2023). "Dean Smith hopes to lead 'successful and consistent' culture as Charlotte FC head coach". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ↑ "Roster". Charlotte FC. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Technical Staff". Charlotte FC. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Promotes Crown Legacy FC Head Coach Gary Dicker to First Team Assistant Coach". Charlotte FC. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC roster update: Wilfried Zaha & Pep Biel remain for 2026". Charlotte FC. November 21, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Acquires USMNT Midfielder Luca de la Torre from Celta de Vigo". Charlotte FC. December 30, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Acquires Austrian Left Back David Schnegg Via Waivers". Charlotte FC. January 15, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Acquires Goalkeeper Tyler Miller from Bolton Wanderers". Charlotte FC. January 20, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Signs Free Agent Center Back Henry Kessler". Charlotte FC. January 29, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Signs Crown Legacy FC Goalkeeper Isaac Walker". Charlotte FC. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Elevates Crown Legacy FC Defender Morrison Agyemang to First Team Roster". Charlotte FC. February 20, 2026. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Signs Forward Rodolfo Aloko to First Team Contract". Charlotte FC. April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Signs Forward Allan Saint-Maximin to Designated Player Contract". Charlotte FC. July 13, 2026. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Signs Forward Nathan Richmond on Short-Term Agreement from Crown Legacy FC | Charlotte FC at FC Cincinnati: September 12, 2026". Charlotte FC. September 12, 2026. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
- ↑ "MNUFC Acquire Goalkeeper Drake Callender from Charlotte". Minnesota United FC. December 29, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Charlotte FC Announces End of Season Roster Decisions". Charlotte FC. November 21, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Experienced All Whites defender joins the Nix". Wellington Phoenix. January 8, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Rhode Island FC Signs Defender Nick Scardina For 2026 Season". Rhode Island FC. January 12, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Las Vegas Lights FC Signs Defender Jahlane Forbes". Las Vegas Lights FC. January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Winger Kerwin Vargas Joins Athletico Paranaense". Charlotte FC. July 30, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Sounders FC Acquires Midfielder Nikola Petković on Loan from Charlotte FC". Seattle Sounders FC. January 8, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Loans Goalkeeper Chituru Odunze to Phoenix Rising FC". Charlotte FC. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.