Major League Soccer is Back Today
Charlotte FC set to play a late match in Seattle to kick off a season with sky-high expectations.
At 4:45 PM ET/1:45 PM PT, Los Angeles FC will kick off the Major League Soccer (MLS) 30th season as they host Minnesota United FC in a pivotal year for both MLS and soccer in the United States.
Next year, the United States - along with Canada and Mexico - will host the men’s World Cup for the first time since 1994. That World Cup facilitated exponential growth for the sport in the United States, including the launch of MLS.
With all eyes on the U.S. Men’s National Team next year, and American audiences increasingly tuning in to European soccer, it’s an important year for MLS to establish itself as a league of choice for players around the world. MLS will also face a challenge in the year after the World Cup from the United Soccer League (USL), which announced earlier this month they will launch a top-tier American league in 2027.
Though the USL Division One league is not expected to directly compete with MLS - at least not at the beginning - it may earn an advantage by being part of a full soccer pyramid within the USL that could support European-style promotion and relegation between leagues. It would be a first in American sports and it’s unclear how fans would react, but the USL product would be distinctive from MLS.
If that wasn’t enough to contemplate, 2025 it may be the last year MLS benefits from the on-field presence of Lionel Messi, the undisputed star of the league and the focus of an outsized level of marketing from MLS, Apple, and sponsors. MLS clubs are preparing for the Messi vacuum by spending more money than ever before to obtain players.
During the offseason, FC Cincinnati broke the league’s the all-time incoming transfer record by paying $16.2 million for Kévin Denkey in November. Austin FC paid a club record $10 million for USMNT player Brandon Vazquez. Charlotte FC acquired former Crystal Palace star Wilfred Zaha on loan, making him the biggest talent the club has signed.
Not to be outdone, Atlanta United broke the record again by acquiring Emmanuel Latte Lath for approximately $22 million or more just days after negotiating to bring Miguel Almirón back to Atlanta from the English Premier League for $10 million, plus a $400,000 payment to Charlotte FC for the “discovery rights” to the player.
Transfers out of the league were also impressive, with the Columbus Crew gaining $16 million from Spanish top flight club Real Betis for Cucho Hernández.
The Return of the Crown
Charlotte FC has been on an upward trajectory for each of its four years on the pitch. In the club’s inaugural season in 2022, the team wasn’t eliminated from playoff contention until the final week of the regular season.
In 2023, the team made it to the postseason for the first time, losing in the wild card match to a New Jersey-based team named after an energy drink. In 2024, with new head coach Dean Smith, Charlotte won its first postseason match against Orlando City SC before dropping a heartbreaker in penalty kicks.
The 2023 season was especially notable, not only because of the arrival of Smith and his Premier League-pedigree, but also due to the club’s defensive prowess. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina won the club’s first end of season award when he was voted best keeper in the league. With only 37 goals conceded, Charlotte led the Eastern Conference; the only MLS squad with a better defensive record was the Seattle Sounders, who host Charlotte tonight.
MLS Week 1:
Seattle Sounders vs. Charlotte FC
10:30 PM ET
Lumen Field
Seattle, Wash.
Watch on Apple TV+ with MLS Season Pass
Will Charlotte Finally Find Success with Designated Players?
Charlotte has had its fair share of hiccups, too. The club’s record on Designated Players - the 3-4 players in every club who are not subject to the league salary cap - is shaky at best.
In 2022, after scoring an olimpico (an unassisted goal from a corner kick) to defeat Atlanta United for the first time, Charlotte FC designated player Jordy Alcívar told the press "I’m only going to get better with every match."
He did not score again for Charlotte in league play, though truthfully he may not have had much of a chance after a mid-season coaching change saw him fall out of favor, and the starting lineup.
Winger Kamil Jóźwiak had more success in cup tournaments than in league play, with only 2 goals in 44 MLS appearances, and another 2 goals for Charlotte across nine appearances in the Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup.
Karol Świderski, Charlotte’s biggest star until Zaha’s arrival, couldn’t decide whether to stay in Charlotte or move to greener pastures. Instead of getting a creative attacking midfielder to support him on offense, Karol Świderski instead got Enzo Copetti, a designated player who also wanted to be the striker for the club. They’d occasionally argue over who would take penalties, with the Polish striker always winning out.
When Copetti finally got his chance after Świderski departed for Italy after the 2023 season, he struggled to get the ball in the goal for Charlotte, and gave way to Patrick Agyemang, who - while not a designated player - demonstrated the strength of Charlotte’s domestic scouting and second team, Crown Legacy FC.
In 2024, the club replaced Jóźwiak with Celtic’s Liel Abada on the wing, and Abada had a strong first season, with seven goals and two assists. Świderski would post the same numbers after he returned for Leagues Cup and the final third of the season, though he couldn’t match Abada’s team-leading 32 shots on target.
After Copetti’s inevitable midseason departure, the club added Pep Biel as a designated player on loan from Greek top flight side Olympiacos, and he would go on to have five goal contributions in only nine appearances. Biel will return this year, though not as a designated player; with Świderski’s departure for Greece’s Panathinaikos, Abada and Zaha are currently the only designated players in the lineup.
The Strongest Charlotte FC Side Ever Faces a Tough Challenge in Seattle
If Charlotte FC gets a bad result tonight, don’t read to much into it.
Seattle has a strong defensive base, and the team is starting the season at #4 in MLSSoccer.com’s Power Rankings, and #2 in Sports Illustrated’s rankings. They’ve added USMNT star Jesús Ferreira up front from FC Dallas, and the team is widely expected to finish at or near the top of the Western Conference.
Charlotte, meanwhile, is at #8 and #11 in the same rankings, with MLS’s writers more bullish on both Charlotte and Zaha than SI’s writers.
Compare the two, below, starting with J. Sam Jones writing for MLSSoccer.com:
Charlotte seem primed to pile up points. They should be strong defensively and they’ve added DP winger Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray. He should elevate an attack that doesn’t have to be elite for this team to be successful. They should be better and more cohesive than the 2024 side that earned 51 points.
Barnaby Lane at Sports Illustrated is less optimistic.
[Zaha’s] career has been turbulent in recent seasons. The 32-year-old has struggled to settle in Turkey and recent had a loan spell with Lyon cut short in France, amid accusations of a bad attitude.
Charlotte will be hoping he doesn't bring these issues to Bank of America Stadium and disrupt a project that has been improving year after year since its inception in 2022.
Wherever Charlotte ends up will come down not only to Zaha’s creative abilities, but also whether or not Charlotte’s defense continues to lead the league while young players like Agyemang and Abada grow into their roles.
Charlotte FC’s fourth campaign begins at 10:30 PM tonight in Seattle, with the first home match at 2:00 PM on Saturday March 1. We’ll be back this week with a recap of tonight’s match, a look at Charlotte’s preseason, and full season preview for the club.