Charlotte FC’s Road to the Postseason

Charlotte FC has some work to do after the international break to secure a postseason spot.

With seven matches to go and with a playoff spot still not locked up, The Crown will need to make the most of the remainder of the season. Charlotte FC currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference at 43 points with 21 points still up for grabs. Here’s how the schedule shakes out for Charlotte FC:

Vs. FC Dallas – October 10, 7:30 p.m.

Four of the seven remaining matches that Charlotte FC has on the docket come against current playoff teams. The first matchup comes at the very beginning of The Crown’s seven-match stretch when they host FC Dallas at Bank of America Stadium. Dallas is second place in the Western Conference with 47 points and will come to Charlotte with a six-match unbeaten streak, going 4-0-2.

A win for The Crown would not only give them an important three points but would also start a six-match stretch in 21 days with the right result.

At Columbus Crew – October 14, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte FC travels to Columbus, Ohio, and ScottsMiracle-Gro Field to play the Columbus Crew on October 14, the first of five Eastern Conference teams that The Crown will face to close out the regular season. Columbus is on the outside of the playoff picture right now in 12th place with 29 points but is four points out of a Wild Card spot and five points out of a guaranteed playoff position. The Crew has made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, including winning the MLS Cup in 2023.

Charlotte FC and Columbus faced off on August 15 in Charlotte, where The Crown won 3-1 thanks to two goals within the first 10 minutes from Brandt Bronico and Liel Abada. The win against The Crew started Charlotte FC’s eight-match unbeaten streak, which ended in The Crown’s loss to Chicago Fire FC on September 26.

At Philadelphia Union – October 17, 2:30 p.m.

Of the five matches that Charlotte FC has against Eastern Conference opponents, three of them are currently in playoff spots.

Charlotte FC runs into one of those teams – Philadelphia Union – on October 17, traveling to Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. The Union is one of the hottest teams in MLS as it stands now. Philadelphia has won six consecutive matches and has gone unbeaten in its last 12 games, climbing up the standings. The Union sits in sixth place, two spots behind Charlotte FC but just four points behind The Crown thanks to 18 well-timed points during Philadelphia’s winning streak.

Charlotte previously beat Philadelphia 2-1 on April 4 thanks to former Crown winger Wilfried Zaha scoring the winner in the 80th minute.

At Portland Timbers – October 24, 10:30 p.m.

Charlotte FC will travel to the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Timbers at Providence Park after a week-long break following three matches in seven days. The match against Portland caps off a three-match road trip for The Crown but also begins another stretch of three matches in a week.

The Timbers are another club that Charlotte FC will face that’s on the edge of the playoff picture. Portland is in 10th place in the Western Conference, just three points out of a Wild Card spot.

Vs. CF Montréal – October 28, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte FC and Montréal will face off for the second time in two months as The Crown plays their penultimate regular season home match. The Crown and Montréal previously played on September 9 in a match that Charlotte won 2-1. The loss further dropped Montréal in the standings, where they now sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 24 points and the second-worst record in MLS.

Vs. Orlando City SC – October 31, 1:00 p.m.

The Crown will try to avoid a scare and slay the Lions and Orlando City SC on Halloween in Charlotte. Orlando has gone 4-3-2 since the end of the Leagues Cup group stage but had been undefeated in five consecutive matches before losing their last two matches, 4-2. As a result, they sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference at 34 points. Eighth, ninth and tenth place in the Eastern Conference all have 33 points, putting them at risk of dropping out of the playoffs. It is also Charlotte FC's Fan Appreciation Match, so expect the home atmosphere to be at its peak.

Orlando won 4-1 in the first match between the two teams on April 22 in Orlando, scoring three goals in the second half.

At Inter Miami CF – November 7, 4:00 p.m.

Charlotte FC caps off the season with a trip to Florida to face Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi on MLS Decision Day. Charlotte FC drew 0-0 with Miami on March 14 in The Crown’s second home match of the season.

Miami is currently in third place, three points ahead of Charlotte and tied with New England. The season-ending matchup between the two squads could have playoff positioning implications.

With Charlotte FC so close to Miami and New England with seven matches to go, they could leap up to second place with the right results during the final stretch of the season. Finishing first in the conference is less likely as it’d mean Nashville SC would need to fail to grab five points in their final seven matches.

However, a second or third place finish in the conference would be the highest regular season finish for Charlotte FC after finishing fourth place in 2025. A higher conference finish also means a more favorable playoff draw for The Crown, giving them their best shot to advance past the first round for the first time in club history.

NEXT AT HOME: