Major League Soccer’s best are coming to Charlotte

CHARLOTTE FC

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber (third from right) and Tepper Sports & Entertainment chairman David Tepper (third from left) announced Charlotte as host of the 2026 MLS All-Star Game at Bank of America Stadium.

Charlotte is a soccer city and Major League Soccer recognizes it.

The 2026 MLS All-Star game will be held at Bank of America Stadium, continuing a streak of marquee soccer events that has bolstered the city’s reputation as a sustainable market. 

“It’s hard to believe we were standing in this room … six years ago to welcome your city into our league, and I remember on that day speaking about ambition and speaking about community,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday at a press conference. “And those are two qualities that I believe define Charlotte FC’s journey into the league. I think now those values are even more evident than ever before.”

Garber acknowledged the passion of Charlotte FC’s fanbase and how it promises to translate next year’s showcase.

“From the first game, Charlotte FC fans have come to represent the spirit of the Queen City,” he said. “Your fans and the community are a symbol of unity for soccer fans across our country and over the past nearly four years, Charlotte has not only become a great host for Major League Soccer games, it’s become a world class soccer destination, and that’s what we were talking about. We were talking about bringing MLS to the city, hosting great Copa America games, hosting the Club World Cup, and having an incredible match just a couple of weeks ago, Charlotte is firmly on the global soccer map.”

David Tepper, owner and chairman of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, emphasized the reality of Charlotte as a soccer city and what hosting an all-star game would do for his team and the city. 

“This is a soccer city. Let’s make no mistake about that,” he said. “Hosting an all-star game with any league is a big deal. And to have a week-long celebration leading up to the MLS All-Star game will be a great thing for our club and our city, Charlotte, because the eyes of the world, as commissioner said, will be particularly on soccer after the World Cup comes to the United States of America. So, it’s a great sort of launching pad for us here in Charlotte.”

Tepper added that a goal of his foundation is to support the community. The showcase itself is exciting, but so is what it can do for local exposure. 

“All-Star week is an exciting week. It's exciting when it comes here, an exciting week for what happens in the community and the week-long event,” he said. “Since we’ve had this team, we’ve fostered … 20 million minutes of grassroots soccer programming in this city. That’s a lot of minutes of soccer programming. And, we have 14 mini pitches in greater Charlotte… We’re just so excited to have the game here, and we're really excited for what that brings, Charlotte, and it will be exciting for soccer in general.”

In recent years Charlotte has hosted sporting events from the FIFA Club World Cup and ACC championships to the Savannah Bananas that attract people from around the world. As a result, the city is becoming a premier destination for sports fans everywhere. 

“We're very excited to host yet another milestone sporting event,” Mayor Vi Lyles said. “In the past several years, we've become internationally known as a sports and entertainment destination, and so it’s fitting that Charlotte welcomes now the most popular sport in the world. … I want you to know that we understand diversity reflects Charlotte and soccer really reflects diversity.”

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