2026 Charlotte FC Guide: Expectations & Targets
Expectations, targets and storylines for the 2026 Charlotte FC season
The 2026 edition of Charlotte FC is already out of the gates and running. Well, running may be a stretch, since they only managed to steal a point on the road against St. Louis City SC while being dominated for most of the game.
However, a point is still a point, especially on the road against a St. Louis side that expects to be one of the league's stronger teams this year. While the result is encouraging, there are questions about how the 5th installment of Charlotte FC will fare in this upcoming season.
Squad Movement
Quick recap of how the squad is looking before we jump into what our expectations and the team’s targets should be. I’ll include Crown Legacy players who have been called up to the first team.
Players in: MF Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), LB David Schnegg (D.C. United), CB Henry Kessler (St. Louis City), CB Morrison Ageymang (Crown Legacy), MF Baye Coulibaly (Crown Legacy), GK Issac Walker (Crown Legacy), CB Will Cleary (Stanford), CB Andrew Johnson (Cornell)
Players out: CB Adilson Malanda (Middlesbrough FC), GK Drake Callender (Minnesota United), MF Nikola Petkovic (Seattle Sounders FC), D Jahlane Forbes (NCFC)
Expectations
Let me set the stage real quick. Charlotte has been on a steady rise since hiring Dean Smith as the manager in 2023. The club has improved each season and has started attracting some serious MLS-level star talent, Wilfred Zaha as a prime example. At one point during last summer, they were the hottest team in the league, winning nine MLS matches in a row, which tied the MLS record in the post-shootout era. They finished the season 4th in the Eastern Conference and exited the playoffs in the first round, losing the series 2-1 to NYC FC.
You would think the front office would see this as a prime opportunity to make a splash signing and to go even further, especially after losing two key starters in Malanda and Patrick Ageymang.
In fairness, the club did push to convince Harvey Elliott, a 22-year-old attacking midfielder who is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Liverpool, to come to Charlotte on loan until the summer. Elliott hasn’t been getting playing time at his new club, going from October 2nd to January 29th without featuring in a match. It would have been a great opportunity signing for Charlotte, however Elliott has decided to stay in England.
So, Charlotte finds themselves running it back with mostly the same crew that ended the season. Adding a couple of vets in de la Torre, Schnegg & Kessler. While hoping the youth can find their footing.
Because of this, my expectation is that this team takes a small step backwards. At least in terms of where they will finish in the table. 2025 saw them finish with 59 points and a 4th place finish. I would expect somewhere around the 53-56 point mark with a battle to finish in a postseason spot coming down to the wire.
Targets
Expectations are one thing, the team’s targets are another. They will have massive aspirations heading into the season; they’ve already stated such.
Smith has said he wants the club to compete for trophies this season. Coming from Europe, that means he really wants the Supporters’ Shield, the trophy awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. He also recognizes that playoffs are important in the United States and will continue fighting to advance past the first round for the first time in the club’s history.
Storylines
Charlotte, like every MLS team, will need their Designated Players (DP) to step up in a major way this season. Zaha was the home-run signing the team had been looking for, but even still, it may be fair to say he didn’t quite live up to the expectations everyone had for him going into the season. If the goal involvement numbers can go up just a tick, I think everyone will be thrilled. Oh, and we can’t forget his loan is up in the summer. So that will be something to monitor as we move into the Spring.
For our other two DP’s, Pep Biel ended up being the shining star in this Charlotte unit. He was on track to being a MVP finalist before going down due to a knee injury. The club will be in a great spot if he can find that form again. That’s already looking good after an amazing tight angle goal in the first match. Expectations were that Liel Abada would be finding a new home, but that hasn’t happened. Hopefully, he can find his form this season and be the DP-caliber player Charlotte signed him to be.
Now, a couple of young players who can change the course of the season.
Idan Toklomati will be leading the attack in the striker position, a role he earned after Ageymang departed the club last summer. Not to put too much on him, but he has the potential to be one of the league’s top goal scorers. Something that can truly elevate Charlotte’s ceiling. If he can reach these heights, bringing home the Supporters’ Shield isn’t out of the question.
Who starts on the wing opposite of Zaha will be interesting to monitor. Abada will face stiff competition from Kerwin Vargas, a player whom I think a lot of people counted out before he came storming back at the end of last season. Vargas, only 24, is entering the prime of his career and could be in a place where he is fully adjusted to the level of the league. He has the opportunity to cement his spot and play a major role for the club this season.
Hopefully, it can all come together for the club this year, and it will be a season to remember. A lot of things need to go right, but I think regardless, we will be a tough opponent that team’s dont want to face. One thing above all gives me hope.
Dean Smith is legit.