2026 Carolina Soccer Almanac

By Brian Maurer

It's a new year, and with it comes one of the most exciting soccer calendars in US history. While there won't be any 2026 World Cup games being hosted in Charlotte, there is still plenty of soccer action to cover in this region. Here is a breakdown of all the major soccer games and events in the Carolinas you will want to mark down in 2026:

January

Charlotte FC's preseason is underway, and with it came their first preseason game against the Charleston Battery this past weekend. Charlotte's first action against an MLS opponent is this weekend in Florida.

1/31 - Preseason: Charlotte FC vs Sporting Kansas City in Florida

February

USL Super League will be back in action after its winter break, and the Carolina Ascent's first home match after the new year will kick off pro soccer action in the Carolinas with their home game against Lexington SC. Charlotte's preseason will hit its crescendo with two matches in Coachella Valley, and then their opener is the week after on the road against St. Louis City.

Also, the Carolina Cup will be back with 10 teams in college men's soccer, facing off around the Carolinas as they get their spring schedule underway

2/7 - Lexington SC at Carolina Ascent @ 2:00 PM ET

2/7-14 - Charlotte FC plays in Coachella Valley Invitational

2/21 - Charlotte FC at St. Louis City @ 2:30 PM ET

February-April - Carolina Cup including 10 men's college soccer teams: Campbell, Duke, High Point, NC State, South Carolina, UNC, UNCG, UNCW, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest

March

March is the month of home openers. Charlotte FC begins March with its home opener against Austin FC, followed by a big-time home matchup against Inter Miami and Lionel Messi the next weekend. The US Open Cup will also kick off this month, with MLS NEXT Pro, USL 1, and USL Championship teams joining at the first stage.

The Charleston Battery, Charlotte Independence, and Greenville Triumph all have their home openers this month. MLS NEXT Pro clubs Carolina Core FC and Crown Legacy FC also have their home openers in March.

3/6 - Huntsville at Crown Legacy FC @ 7:00 PM ET - Home opener

3/7 - Austin FC at Charlotte FC @ 7:30 PM ET - Home opener

3/7 - Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Charleston battery @ 6 PM ET - Home opener

3/14 - Inter Miami at Charlotte FC @ 7:30 PM ET

3/14 - Chattanooga Red Wolves at Greenville Triumph @ 7 PM ET - Home opener

3/14 - Orlando City B at Carolina Core FC @ 3:00 PM ET - Home opener

3/17-19 - US Open Cup First Round - Will include Charlotte Independence, Greenville Triumph, Charleston Battery, and Carolina Core FC

3/27 - Spokane Velocity at Charlotte Independence @ 7 PM ET - Home opener

April

Charlotte FC will host Southeast rival Nashville SC, and then midweek, the Crown will join in the US Open Cup Round of 32. For college soccer, the Carolina Cup Final will kick off at Wake Forest in the second week of April.

4/11 - Nashville SC at Charlotte FC @ 7:30 PM ET

4/12 - Carolina Cup Final @ Wake Forest's Spry Stadium

4/14-15 - US Open Cup Round of 32 - Will include Charlotte FC

May

May is when things really start to heat up as Charlotte hosts another perennial Eastern Conference contender, FC Cincinnati. Then Carolina Ascent hosts one of the top teams in the USL Super League. The big kickoff for May will be the international friendly between the USMNT and Senegal, which will be a huge send-off as the World Cup gets underway in June.

5/9 - FC Cincinnati at Charlotte FC @ 7:30 PM ET

5/16 - Sporting JAX at Carolina Ascent @ 7:00 PM ET

5/31 - International friendly in Charlotte, NC: USA vs Senegal @ 3 PM ET

June

The month soccer fans around the world are waiting for! Game after game after game of international action. If you are in the Carolinas and need a break from the TV, you can also catch a USL League 1 derby in Charlotte.

6/11-7/19 - FIFA World Cup 2026

6/24 - Greenville Triumph at Charlotte Independence @ 7 PM ET

July

Right after the World Cup Final, Charlotte FC gets right back into the MLS fray by hosting their Southern rivals, Atlanta United, midweek. The following week, Charlotte will host the MLS All-Star Game.

7/22 - Atlanta United at Charlotte FC @ 8 PM ET

7/29 - 2026 MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte

August

After a crazy June and July, college soccer kicks off in August, and then Charlotte FC will travel for the away game against Southern rival Atlanta.

Mid-August - NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer begins

8/29 - Charlotte FC at Atlanta United @ 7:30 PM ET

September

In September, the MLS season will begin to hit its full force, and with it comes a big home matchup for Charlotte FC, where they will have a chance to avenge their 4-1 home loss from 2025 against the Chicago Fire.

There will also be some intense MLS NEXT Pro action as state rivals Carolina Core and Crown Legacy will face off a week before they both travel for Decision Day.

9/12 - Carolina Core FC at Crown Legacy FC @ 7 PM ET

9/20 - MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day

• Crown Legacy FC at FC Cincinnati 2 @ 2 PM ET

• Carolina Core FC at Columbus Crew 2 @ 2 PM ET

9/26 - Chicago Fire at Charlotte FC @ 7:30 PM ET

October

In October, Charlotte Independence travels to Greenville, and Charlotte FC hosts Eastern Conference foe, Orlando City.

10/17 - Charlotte Independence at Greenville Triumph @ 7 PM ET

10/31 - Orlando City at Charlotte FC @ 7:30 PM ET

November

November will be a big month of soccer for the Carolinas, as it will be Decision Day in MLS, which means Charlotte FC travels to Inter Miami to visit their new stadium. After the international window, the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs will get underway.

Also, men's and women's college soccer conference tournaments will be underway, with several marquee matchups likely in the Carolinas. In 2025, the ACC, Big South, American, and Southern Conference Tournament Championships were all hosted in the Carolinas.

11/7 - Charlotte FC at Inter Miami @ 4:00 PM ET

Early to mid-November - ACC, Big South, and Southern Conference Tournaments for men's and women's college soccer

Mid-November - MLS Cup Playoffs begin after the November International Window

December

December will be another big month for college soccer in the Carolinas, as WakeMed Soccer Park will host the NCAA DI men's and women's College Cup the same weekend.

Around the same time, the MLS Cup Final will be kicking off.

12/11-14 - NCAA DI Men's and Women's Soccer College Cup - Cary, NC

Mid-December - MLS Cup Final