MLS Preview: Charlotte FC

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·5 February 2025

MLS Preview: Charlotte FC

Club History

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. So goes the history of professional soccer in Charlotte, North Carolina. On the short-list of the 1994 original locations, they did not win a franchise, and were passed over in 1996 and 1998 for expansions. Numerous other unsuccessful bids in 2014, 2016 and 2017 followed. It wasn’t until 2019 that the MLS awarded Charlotte a franchise engagement band, with the nuptials to happen in 2021, though that debut season was pushed back due to COVID a year.

The club’s crest features a four-pointed crown, paying homage to Charlotte’s nickname the “Queen City” and the historic four wards of the city, and the words “Minted 2022” referring to their inaugural season and the Charlotte Mint, the first in the U.S.

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Ownership

David Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund manager, owns Charlotte FC along with the Carolina Panthers football team. His expansion franchise payment of $325M was the most expensive in league history (until San Diego FC came along). They both use Bank of America stadium as their home field.

Notable Players

Sergio Ruiz (Spain) Defensive midfielder The first player signed by the club. He played 19 games.
Karol Świderski (Poland) Striker The club’s first Designated Player. His 32 goals in 85 games remains a club record. Transferred to Panathinaikos in the Greek Super League in January 2025.
Tim Ream (United States) Center defender Transferred from Fulham (where he spent 9 seasons) in the summer of 2024.
Ben Bender (United States) Midfielder A 2022 SuperDraft selection, Bender spent last season on loan with the USL Championship Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Other Facts

View from the Supporter’s Section (Source)

They have an affiliated reserve team called Crown Legacy FC that competes in the MLS Next Pro league.
Was the first MLS club to utilize the somewhat controversial (and unpopular) personal seat license model for season ticket purchases.
Their home debut game on March 5, 2022 drew 74,479 fans, a MLS attendance record at the time.
Before every home fixture a guest is crowned the “monarch” of the match.

2024 Performance

14W – 9D – 11L with 51 points. Finished 5th in the Eastern Conference and 11th overall.
Lost to Orlando City in the first round, 2-0 away, winning at home, then losing the third match away in PKs.

Who to Watch 2025

After back-to-back playoff qualifications, the expectation for a third is given. Their goal this year is to advance out of the first round.

Wilfried Zaha (Cote d’Ivoire) Winger Former Crystal Palace legend comes Stateside on loan from Galatasaray, one of the biggest name moves for the MLS. Despite his age he should prove vexing for opposition defenses.
Liel Abada (Israel) Winger A Designated Player signed from Celtic in March, 2024 for ~$8.5M.
Pep Biel (Spain) Midfielder Using some slick transfer mojo, Charlotte executives moved Biel out of the DP slot and then re-secured his loan from Olympiacos. His job will be creating opportunities for Wilf and Liel to score.
Patrick Agyemang (United States) Forward Scored on his USMNT debut against Venezuela last January. His 10 goals and 3 assists led the team in 2024.