MLS All-Star Game is coming to Charlotte in 2026, source says
Another signature sporting event is coming to the city of Charlotte.
Another “first,” too.
MLS commissioner Don Garber is expected to announce Wednesday that the 2026 MLS All-Star Game will take place in Charlotte, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer. Ashley Mahoney of Axios Charlotte had the news first.
Garber will be making the announcement at an appearance at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday morning alongside several notable city dignitaries, including Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper, Tepper Sports and Entertainment CEO Kristi Coleman and Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles, among others.
The news is big for the city of Charlotte in several ways.
The spectacle will be an economic boon, for one.
The All-Star game this year in Austin, Texas, will have an estimated $20 million in economic impact, according to a report from MLSSoccer.com. And there is reason to believe Charlotte’s estimate could be larger. Bank of America Stadium has a much higher capacity than Austin’s Q2 Stadium (capacity 21,000) — and Charlotte FC has averaged the second-highest attendance number in MLS in each of its first three seasons, over 35,000 fans in all three seasons.
It’s also big for the city as it fits into the nation’s sports landscape. Charlotte’s status as a sports town has grown remarkably over the past few years, and it reached arguably its highest highs after a string of sports-related events the city hosted this spring and summer — including an ACC basketball tournament, a PGA major, a Savannah Bananas performance, a slate of FIFA Club World Cup matches and more.
The 2026 All-Star Game represents the first MLS All-Star Game in city history. That said, it is not the first major-sport All-Star contest; the city hosted NBA All-Star Weekend in 2019. The city also hosted the 1981 American Soccer League All-Star Game at American Legion Memorial Stadium, back when the city’s premier soccer club was the Carolina Lightnin’.
Many details of the event are yet to be disclosed, including the date and who the MLS All-Stars will compete against. Unlike the NBA All-Star Game or the NFL’s Pro Bowl, the MLS All-Star Game pits the league’s all-stars against players from other leagues. This year, for instance, the all-stars will play the top players from LIGA MX, the premier league in Mexico, on July 23.
Other events that will take place during the weekend beyond the All-Star Game include a skills challenge and the MLS NEXT All-Star Game, which features MLS club academy players.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 3:49 PM with the headline "MLS All-Star Game is coming to Charlotte in 2026, source says."
