Charlotte FC

Did You Know?

• Charlotte FC's home debut on March 5, 2022, drew 74,479 fans—at the time, the largest single-match crowd in MLS history and the second-largest crowd to attend a match anywhere in the world in 2022.
• The club spent the most in transfer fees of any club in the CONCACAF region in 2022, according to a FIFA report.
• Charlotte FC's first win was a 3–1 result at home against the defending Supporters Shield holders New England Revolution on March 20, 2022.
• Daniel Ríos scored the team's first hat-trick, netting four goals against the Philadelphia Union on October 1, 2022.
• The expansion fee paid by David Tepper was reported near $325 million, a 62.5 percent increase from what was paid by St. Louis and Sacramento earlier in 2019.

History

The Charlotte area has hosted several lower-division soccer teams, beginning with the Carolina Lightnin' in the early 1980s. The Lightnin' won the American Soccer League championship in 1981 before 20,163 spectators at American Legion Memorial Stadium, marking Charlotte's first professional sports championship. After the league folded in 1983, the team played one season as the Charlotte Gold in the United Soccer League and then ceased operations.

Professional soccer returned in 1991 with the founding of the Charlotte Eagles, who joined the USISL in 1993. Charlotte was considered for an MLS franchise in 1994, 1996, and 1998 but was not selected. The Charlotte Convention Center hosted the MLS SuperDraft and National Soccer Coaches Association of America conference in January 2004. Following a 2014 renovation to Bank of America Stadium, the city hosted friendly and international matches, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup and International Champions Cup, with strong attendance.

The Charlotte Independence, founded in 2014, replaced the Eagles in the second division and moved to a permanent soccer stadium in Matthews, North Carolina, in 2017. The Independence's ownership group sought an MLS expansion team and proposed a renovation to American Legion Memorial Stadium in 2015.

Club identity

In December 2019, Tepper Sports submitted trademark filings for eight potential names, including Charlotte FC, Charlotte Crown FC, and Charlotte Fortune FC. The name and crest were revealed on July 22, 2020, after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Charlotte Football Club (shortened to Charlotte FC) chosen. The crest, designed by Doubleday & Cartwright, is a black roundel with a Process Blue center—the same blue used by the Carolina Panthers.

Its coin-like shape and the inscription 'Minted 2022' reference the city's banking industry and the historic Charlotte Mint. A four-pointed crown at the center represents the four wards of Uptown Charlotte and the city's nickname 'Queen City,' after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The team is sometimes called 'The Crown,' a nickname incorporated into the reserve team Crown Legacy FC. A multi-year kit sponsorship with Ally Financial was signed in July 2019.

A sleeve sponsorship from Centene Corporation was announced in October 2021, including a donation for 1,900 personal seat licenses and community programs. The first primary jersey, the 'Carolina Kit,' unveiled in December 2021, is blue with white sleeves and outlines of North and South Carolina. The secondary 'Newly Minted' community kit, a black jersey with mint highlights, was used for the 2022 season. A new secondary jersey, the 'Crown Jewel,' unveiled for 2023, is purple with blue highlights and pink stripes.

Stadium

Charlotte FC plays at Bank of America Stadium, a 74,867-seat venue shared with the Carolina Panthers. For most matches, only the lower bowl and club sections are used, capping capacity at 38,000; the upper bowl opens for major matches like the 2022 home opener. A $50 million renovation, funded by Tepper Sports and the city government, began in March 2021 and was completed in early 2022, adding dedicated soccer locker rooms, a player tunnel at midfield, and a larger concourse.

A supporters' section is located behind the east goal. The stadium's grass surface was replaced with FieldTurf in 2021. In February 2021, Charlotte FC became the first MLS team to use personal seat licenses for season tickets in most sections, with a $550 cost per seat for the inaugural season; the system was discontinued in 2026 amid declining attendance and revenue, with existing holders refunded via credits. The team's headquarters and practice facilities were initially planned for the Eastland Mall site, but that plan was cancelled in October 2020 due to reduced city incentives.

The Eastland site was instead proposed for the Charlotte FC Elite Academy on 22 acres. The headquarters moved to Uptown, and the team trains at Sportsplex at Matthews until a permanent facility is built.

Ownership and management

Charlotte FC is owned by David Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund manager who purchased the Carolina Panthers in 2018 and was at the time the wealthiest NFL owner. Zoran Krneta was hired as sporting director in December 2019. Marc Nicholls, a former Carolina Dynamo head coach, became technical director in January 2020 and led the youth academy until his departure two years later. Miguel Ángel Ramírez was hired as the first head coach in July 2021 and fired on May 31, 2022.

On November 8, 2023, Lattanzio and assistant Andy Quy left the club. Dean Smith, former manager of Aston Villa, was announced as the third head coach on December 12, 2023. From 2021 to 2022, Charlotte FC had an affiliation with the Charlotte Independence, who served as a reserve squad. That affiliation ended after the 2022 season, replaced by Crown Legacy FC, a reserve team in MLS Next Pro operated directly by the club, based at Sportsplex at Matthews and beginning play in 2023.

The youth academy was established in July 2020 with under-17, under-14, under-13, and under-12 squads. The under-17 and under-15 squads were the first Charlotte FC teams to play at Bank of America Stadium, facing Atlanta United FC Academy teams before 1,800 spectators. The first homegrown players signed were Brian Romero and Nimfasha Berchimas in 2022.