Charlotte FC aims higher ahead of the 2026 campaign

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charlotte FC forward Wilfried Zaha (10), who scored 10 goals for the Crown in his 2025 MLS debut, returns to the fold along with Pep Biel, who missed the playoffs last year with a hamstring injury after scoring 10 goals and 12 assists.

Charlotte FC’s best season ever ended without hardware.

The Crown earned the most wins (19) and points (59) in the franchise’s four-year history as well as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home pitch advantage in the playoffs’ opening round. They lost to New York City FC 2-1 in a best-of-three series, which gives Charlotte a new goal for 2026 – advance to the second round for the first time in club history.

“It’s building blocks,” coach Dean Smith said at the start of training camp last week. … “I've walked off a pitch twice disappointed – once after the Orlando defeat in the playoffs and then, New York at home. We finished in the top four. We couldn’t get it done and it’s funny that when I look back and review the game at the end the last season, we actually went out the best we played in the playoff competition. Sometimes football can be cruel, but our aim is to just keep getting better and pushing the standards that we’ve got so you know that now is to win something.”

Most of the season-ending roster returns, and with it an understanding of Smith’s philosophy and tactics. With a few tweaks, he believes Charlotte has the potential to accomplish more. 

“I think the mentality is in a good place,” Smith said. “There’s not loads of turnover in terms of roster building, we’ve got the foundations of a really good team. I think we proved that last season, the regular season, and I think what we’ve done in the regular season we want to go further now. We want to go and build and win things and that’s the important thing, so the mentality is there.”

Among the newcomers, midfielder Luca de la Torre has garnered the most attention. Charlotte signed de la Torre from San Diego FC on a permanent transfer from La Liga side Celta de Vigo for his ability to facilitate the attack as a central midfielder. With his abilities as an adept passer, de la Torre, a member of the U.S. national team, is expected to put scoring threats Pep Biel and Wilfried Zaha in position to attack. 

“He’s a player who connects,” Smith said. “He can connect the ball from the back to the front, and I think that’s something that we’ve missed at times. And he's really tidy on the ball as well. I think he’ll be a really good signing for us.”

Said de la Torre: (Smith) thinks that the team can benefit a lot from a player like me with my abilities and ability to progress the ball, and that would fit in well with the setup.”

Charlotte, which opens the season Feb. 21 at St. Louis City FC, can also benefit from Pep Biel’s return after knee and hamstring injuries shelved him late last season. Biel, whose services were acquired from Olympiacos on a permanent transfer, is classified as a Designated Player through 2027, with a club option for an extra year. His 10 goals – tied for second on the team with Wilfried Zaha – and team-best 12 assists in 26 matches in 2025 made him one of 11 MLS players to reach the 10/10 plateau. After being sidelined for the playoffs, Biel is eager to return to the field.

“I’m really excited, because for me, it was difficult time to be out because the thing I want is to play,” he said, “but now I’m very hungry for the season.”

Smith insists Charlotte FC’s first-round exits don’t create extra urgency for 2026. Although fans debate expectations, coaches and players tie their accomplishments to outcomes. 

“There’s much pressure, because there’s always pressure when you when you’re a head coach of a team, there's always pressure because you have to win football games, and you know that’s really important, that you understand that,” he said. “I don’t set targets of Supporters Shield or MLS Cup, or U.S. Open, or Leagues Cup, because you’re trying to win all of them. You try and win whichever competition that you go into, so you know that pressure will always be intrinsic.”

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