Everything you need to know about Charlotte FC as the team begins its inaugural season
Charlotte FC’s inaugural season kicks off in late February, marking the official beginning of a new professional sports franchise in the Queen City.
The arrival of a new team in Charlotte means it’s local sports fans are gearing up to learn a new roster, get some new merchandise and get to know a new head coach.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Charlotte FC’s first match:
Charlotte FC 2022 schedule
Charlotte FC’s first regular season game is Feb. 26 against D.C. United, and the team’s inaugural home game will be March 5 against the LA Galaxy.
In total, the team will play 17 regular season home games in 2022. The season will wrap up in October with a final home game against Philadelphia. The team’s regular season finale is at the New York Red Bulls.
Check out the full schedule here.
Where does Charlotte FC play?
Charlotte’s newest professional sports franchise will share a stadium with another, the Carolina Panthers.
Bank of America Stadium will also be the home of Charlotte FC. The stadium underwent a yearlong renovation that cost about $50 million in anticipation of move.
Who is Charlotte FC’s coach?
Miguel Ángel Ramírez was hired by Charlotte FC in July.
The 36-year-old comes to Charlotte from Spain, and he was previously a manager at Independiente del Valle, a club in Ecuador’s top Serie A league, and the Brazilian club Internacional. He has also served as a youth academy coach in Spain, Greece and Qatar.
Learn more about his background and coaching philosophy here.
Charlotte FC roster
The expansion team’s roster is still coming together, Ramírez told reporters in early February.
“We need to reinforce the squad of course,” Ramírez said. “We need to have something else to be more competitive.”
The current roster has 25 players that come from international backgrounds as well as players drafted out of colleges as close by as Clemson.
You can see the full roster at charlottefootballclub.com/roster.
How to buy Charlotte FC tickets
Charlotte FC sells season tickets, single match tickets, club tickets and premium tickets.
Single match tickets are currently available for between $25 to more than $150. Season tickets and premium packages can cost upwards of $1,000.
Tickets can be purchased through the team’s TicketMaster site by visiting charlottefootballclub.com/tickets.
Charlotte FC TV schedule
This season, eight Charlotte FC matches will be broadcast on national television. In addition, 26 games will air on local stations in the Carolinas, including WSOC in Charlotte.
Spanish-language broadcasts will air on Telemundo Charlotte.
Games will also be available for streaming on Charlotte FC’s website and ESPN+. They will also be broadcast on radio, including on WFNZ in Charlotte.
Soccer bars in Charlotte
If you prefer to watch games alongside your fellow fans, there are plenty of bars around Charlotte that cater to a soccer-crazy crowd on game days.
Some even host official watch club parties.
Where to find Charlotte FC merchandise and jerseys
New merch is, for many, key to embracing a new team, and there’s already plenty of Charlotte FC gear available.
The team’s official MLS store offers jerseys as well as hats, sweatshirts, tailgate supplies and more. Fanatics.com also sells licensed apparel and other gear.
If you prefer to buy gear in person, the Bank of America Team Store at 800 S. Mint St. has Charlotte FC merchandise available.
Charlotte Observer journalists Alex Andrejev and Alex Cason contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 1:25 PM.
