The Road Ahead: Charlotte FC's Leagues Cup Group Preview

The Crown returns to Bank of America Stadium this Tuesday to a break in the MLS schedule for the fourth annual edition of Leagues Cup, the tournament that pits MLS clubs against Liga MX in a tournament format with a trophy and spots in Concacaf Champions Cup up for grabs.

Charlotte FC will host all three of its matches of the group stage here at Bank of America Stadium, kicking off against Pumas UNAM on Tuesday, Aug. 4, Atlas FC on Aug. 7 and finally CF Pachuca on Aug. 11.

Let’s take a look at a special Leagues Cup Group Preview, where we’ll look at everything you need to know about Leagues Cup and how CLTFC can make it on to the knockout stages:

Depth Test

With the long grind of the MLS season, taking place before, during and after Leagues Cup runs, many squads will look to their bench for crucial rotation options. Fans will likely see new or less frequent faces than they’re used to, such as Tyler Miller, who last featured for The Crown in the U.S. Open Cup, as with the last two Leagues Cup runs Dean Smith has opted to get more minutes out of his backup goalkeeper. Defenders such as Will Cleary and Henry Kessler have continued to impress the gaffer and working their ways back from injury, while fullback David Schnegg could get extended run as he has pushed Harry Toffolo for the leftback spot throughout the season. Perhaps Charlotte’s faithful will get their first glimpse of newly signed DP, Allan Saint-Maximin, who Smith said he is hopeful to see next Tuesday against Pachuca.

Opponent Outlook

First up in The Crown’s 2026 Leagues Cup run is Liga MX powerhouse Pumas UNAM. The Mexico City side has begun the 2026-27 season with three wins and one loss, building on its runner-up finish in the Clausura (The second half of the Liga MX season). Fans will see some familiar faces in their squad, headlined by three-time UEFA Champions League winner Keylor Navas in goal, Panamanian midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla, who featured in 95 matches with the Houston Dynamo and Pedro Vite, formerly of the Vancouver Whitecaps. With so much star power, the key to this match will be to stay organized and communicate, as every man on the pitch will be vital.

On Friday, The Crown welcomes Atlas FC, who flamed out in the group stage in the 2025 edition of the competition. The Guadalajara-based side has opened its season with a 2W-1L-0D record through the first few matches of Apertura (The first half of the Liga MX season). With such a quick turnaround for the matchup against Atlas, depth could prove to be pivotal in this contest.

Finally, Charlotte FC will round out the group stage against CF Pachuca, who was here a year ago competing against Real Madrid in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The visitors are working on finding their footing in the early days of their 2026-27 season, going 1W-2L-0D through the first three matches and sitting in 13^th place. Highlighting Pachuca is Salomón Rondón. The star striker led Pachuca to a 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup title in 2024, picking up golden boot honors in the competition and tying for the Clausura golden boot honors the same year.

Defend Your Turf

Leagues Cup kicks off a four-match homestand and The Crown will see five of its next seven at Bank of America Stadium, meaning it’s time to hunker down and protect home field. Charlotte FC is 2W-1L-1D all-time in Leagues Cup play at home and has held a 5W-2L-2D record here this season. Every team in the group stage will need to travel to the Queen City to challenge The Crown, but three matches in seven days will still be challenging, so the lads will need every fan to show up and bring show their support in the stands.

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