Charlotte FC proves small-market MLS cities can attract big soccer stars

Charlotte is a small sporting market, but it has learned to punch well above its weight in MLS. The team made its league debut in 2022 and has performed better every season, culminating in a fifth-place Eastern Conference spot in 2024 and the team's first trip to the MLS playoffs. Charlotte finished the 2024 season with the second-highest attendance in the league, packing nearly 70,000 supporters into Bank of America Stadium for key matches.

It's the kind of atmosphere that many MLS cities lack — even key markets such as New York, Florida and Los Angeles — and Charlotte knows it. The team has been intentional about attracting casual fans and turning them into serious supporters.

To do that, though, Charlotte must be successful on the field. And it has managed that by putting its money behind its head coach, ex-Aston Villa man Dean Smith, a name that carries big weight in the Carolinas. Remember the late, legendary former North Carolina basketball coach?

By indexing on Smith as the star over players, Charlotte took a big gamble. It reasoned that a big-name coach had infinitely more influence over key talent than a big-name player. And that mattered for Charlotte, because foreign players certainly weren't finding the North Carolina city on their own.

After one season under Smith, Charlotte is reaping the rewards of its gamble.

Premier League stars who might have overlooked Charlotte in favor of bigger cities have begun negotiating with the club in earnest. Fulham's Tim Ream arrived last summer; ex-Crystal Palace man Wilfried Zaha is expected to arrive in 2025.

Other Premier League targets, including Smith's former Aston Villa protege Matt Targett, are rumored to be engaging with the club, too.

Without the one-two punch of intentional fan experience and an early focus on coaching, these moves simply don't happen for Charlotte — or for any smaller MLS market. It's a fascinating approach and one that could shape the future of the 30-team league.

"We've set our stall out," Smith said in his first news conference of 2025. "We've set our standards, and now we have to keep lifting them, week-in, week-out."

Charlotte will begin its season on Feb. 22 at the Seattle Sounders.