Charlotte FC waives first MLS draft pick Ben Bender

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Ben Bender scores a goal in Charlotte FC's 2-0 win against New York Red Bulls on June 12, 2022. Bender, the Crown's top pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, was waived by Charlotte on April 25, 2025.

A Charlotte FC original has been let go.

Midfielder Ben Bender, the team’s first MLS SuperDraft pick in 2022, was waived Friday after 51 career MLS appearances, seven goals and eight assists. He didn’t play in a match in 2025. As the first overall pick after a stellar two-year career at Maryland, Bender’s transition to professional soccer was immediate as a Generation Adidas designee to starter in Charlotte.

“Ben has been with us since our inaugural season, and we’re thankful for all his contributions to the Club over the past four years,” Charlotte general Mmnager Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “His playing time has decreased over the past two seasons, and he found it difficult to break into the team. Consistent minutes are crucial to development as a young player, so we believe this move is in the best interest of both parties.”

Bender’s release was necessitated by injuries to fullbacks Nathan Byrne (neck) and Souleyman Doumbia. Charlotte added Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty on loan from CF Montréal for the remainder of the season to bolster backline depth. Charlotte coach Dean Smith told reporters he doesn’t expect Marshall-Rutty to be available Saturday against New England.

Bender’s playing time dwindled under Smith and was exacerbated by a knee injury that led to his loan to USL Championship’s Tampa Bay Rowdies for the second half of the 2024 season. Charlotte exercised a contract extension in the offseason to keep Bender on the roster through 2025.

“With our current roster construction, including the addition of Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty to strengthen our backline following injuries to two of our fullbacks, we needed to free up space on our senior roster which led us to make this difficult decision,” Krneta said.

Comments