Charlotte is the newest city added to Major League Soccer’s expansion boom.
The North Carolina city was officially announced Tuesday as the league’s 30th franchise, and it will begin play in 2021 alongside Austin FC.
“We are thrilled to welcome Charlotte as Major League Soccer’s 30th club,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said during an event held in Charlotte. “During the last two decades, Charlotte has experienced enormous energy and growth, which matches soccer’s explosive rise in popularity in the United States. We are pleased to add David Tepper to our ownership group and look forward to working with him and his entire organization to launch Major League Soccer in the Carolinas in 2021.