Charlotte's MLS franchise doesn't yet have a name or a coach, but it has its first player.
Spanish midfielder Sergio Ruiz has earned that distinction, joining the club from Spanish second-division side Racing Santander. Ruiz, 25, signs with Charlotte a couple of days after fellow 2021 expansion team Austin FC announced the signing of its first player, Paraguayan forward Rodney Redes.
“We are laying down the foundations of a competitive and winning team, and Ruiz is the ideal player to start with,” club sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “We’ve been scouting him for several months.