CLTFC begin the 2026 season at St. Louis CITY SC and Los Angeles Galaxy before hosting Austin FC for the home opener on March 7
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Thursday, November 20, 2025) - Major League Soccer today announced the 2026 MLS Regular Season schedule. Charlotte FC will begin on the road for the first two matches of the season against St. Louis CITY SC (February 21) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (February 28). The Club’s home opener will be played at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, March 7, against Austin FC, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
2026 HOME OPENER
The Crown are back for Season 5 at The Fortress! The action returns on March 7th at 7:30 p.m. against Austin FC.
MLS and Apple announced last week that beginning with the 2026 season, all MLS matches will be available to stream for Apple TV subscribers at no additional cost. Charlotte FC Season Ticket Members will receive an Apple TV subscription as part of their benefits. Details on redemption will be shared ahead of the new season.
The Crown enter 2026 having qualified for the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and are coming off the Club’s best season in its four-year history. The full 2026 season schedule can be found below.
DATE | OPPONENT | HOME/AWAY | TIME (ET) |
Saturday, Feb 21 | St. Louis | Away | 2:30 PM |
Saturday, Feb 28 | LA Galaxy | Away | 10:30 PM |
Saturday, Mar 7 | Austin | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Mar 14 | Miami | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Mar 21 | New York Red Bulls | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Apr 4 | Philadelphia | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Apr 11 | Nashville | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Apr 18 | New York | Away | 7:30 PM |
Wednesday, Apr 22 | Orlando | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Apr 25 | Nashville | Away | 8:30 PM |
Saturday, May 2 | New England | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, May 9 | Cincinnati | Home | 7:30 PM |
Wednesday, May 13 | New York | Home | 7:00 PM |
Saturday, May 16 | Toronto | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, May 23 | New England | Home | 7:30 PM |
Wednesday, Jul 22 | Atlanta | Home | 8:00 PM |
Saturday, Jul 25 | New York Red Bulls | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Aug 1 | Chicago | Away | 8:30 PM |
Saturday, Aug 15 | Columbus | Home | 7:30 PM |
Wednesday, Aug 19 | Toronto | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Aug 22 | DC | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Aug 29 | Atlanta | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Sep 05 | Houston | Home | 7:30 PM |
Wednesday, Sep 09 | Montreal | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Sep 12 | Cincinnati | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Sep 19 | DC | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Sep 26 | Chicago | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Oct 10 | Dallas | Home | 7:30 PM |
Wednesday, Oct 14 | Columbus | Away | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Oct 17 | Philadelphia | Away | 2:30 PM |
Saturday, Oct 24 | Portland | Away | 10:30 PM |
Wednesday, Oct 28 | Montreal | Home | 7:30 PM |
Saturday, Oct 31 | Orlando | Home | TBD |
Saturday, Nov 7 | Miami | Away | 4:00 PM |
Here is a breakdown of key moments throughout the season:
Home Heavy Front Half
When Charlotte FC return from their two Western Conference matches, 10 of the next 14 will be played at Bank of America Stadium. In 2025, the Club finished with a record number of home wins for the franchise with 13.
The Crown will welcome Inter Miami on March 14 and look to repeat their 2025 home performance against the Herons, which featured an Idan Toklomati hat trick en route to a 3-0 victory over Lionel Messi and company.
The front half home slate also features matches against regional rivals Nashville SC (April 11), FC Cincinnati (May 9) and a playoff rematch against New York City FC (May 13).
World Cup Break
Major League Soccer will enter a break during the 2026 FIFA World Cup as players depart from their Clubs to join their respective national teams.
Charlotte FC’s first match back from the World Cup will be against Atlanta United at Bank of America Stadium on July 22. The next time soccer will be played at The Fortress, following the derby match, will be for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game on July 29.
Ticket and opponent details for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte will be announced at a later date.
Western Waltzes
While there are no new opponents on the docket for Charlotte FC, The Crown will experience a couple of firsts as it relates to the Club’s six opponents from the Western Conference.
The first two road trips of the season are familiar territory for CLTFC, who have traveled to both St. Louis and the Galaxy before. Fans will be able to cross off the final leg of away trips to the Pacific Northwest when the boys travel to the Portland Timbers for the first time (October 24).
New to the MLS slate is FC Dallas, who remains the only team in Major League Soccer that Charlotte FC have not faced in league competition; however, the two do have history in Leagues Cup. Austin and Houston are familiar foes, having played CLTFC multiple times.
