Charlotte FC 2026 Preview | OneFootball

This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘s Charlotte FC preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest Will Palaszczuk from WFNZ. You can find that video on Spotify below.

2025 Recap

Charlotte FC has a largely successful 2025.  Although it didn’t end up with a trophy, the club had a 19-2-13 record and finished 4th in the Eastern Conference. They were good at scoring and keeping other teams out of the net, and was 6th place in the East in both categories. 

Charlotte was in the news a lot last season, especially for the high profile sale of striker Patrick Agyemang to Derby County for around $8 million.  They had a 9 game summer winning streak, and drew only 3 times all season.  Those extra wins helped them to a 13-1-5 home record, including the playoffs.  

Idan Toklomati took over as lead striker and scored 11 goals.  Pep Biel, their #10 and Designated Player, contributed 10 goals and 11 assists. 

On the slightly disappointing side, Wilfried Zaha had only 10 goals and 5 assists, although he did make an impact.  He was the most fouled player in MLS last year.    

Transactions

After losing their best player in a summer sale, Charlotte lost their best defender when Adlison Malanda’s loan expired.  The rest of the outgoing players are mostly depth pieces, or players who played smaller-than-expected roles. 

This offseason, Charlotte worked to fully acquire Pep Biel.  They signed Luca de la Torre from San Diego, who could be a huge midfield piece.  Luca will look to improve his current form and return to the USMNT ahead of the World Cup. He played 3 seasons for Celta Vigo after coming up with Fulham.  

Depth Chart

Charlotte FC will have a top 3 of Zaha, Toklomati, and Abada.  There is some thought that the starting right winger may be Kerwin Vargas, who finished there last season.  I tend to think cream will rise to the top, and Vargas’s errant crosses and missed shots will find him benched sooner, rather than later. 

In the center of the pitch, Luca de la Torre will pair with Premier League veteran Ashley Westwood. Joining Pep Biel, this is an absolute strength for Charlotte.  They can compete with many top midfielders in MLS. 

The backline takes a hit without Malanda, but Tim Ream should move from left back to center back and help Andrew Privett develop.  Henry Kessler and Jack Neeley provide depth.  Henry Toffolo and Nathan Byrne will start as fullbacks. 

Kristijan Kahlina was one of the best keepers in MLS, but got benched after a run of bad form last season.  Charlotte hopes that was merely and hiccup and he will return as a top MLS goalie in 2026. 

Questions

Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!

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