What MLS’s top exec said of Charlotte’s stadium future, no Messi in All-Star Game

There has been no shortage of excitement surrounding Bank of America Stadium the past several days — and that enthusiasm will continue through the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday night.

An important out-of-towner shares in that enthusiasm:

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber.

Garber told reporters on Monday evening that seeing the latest news of Tepper Sports and Entertainment’s increased private investment in the Bank of America Stadium renovation project — and seeing what the stadium will look like once it’s fully completed in 2030 — is a positive development for Charlotte FC and the league he runs.

He maintained that belief Monday even when presented with the fact that this means that there are no plans for a soccer-specific stadium for Charlotte’s MLS club for the foreseeable future.

“Bank of America Stadium was part of the original plan,” Garber told a limited group of reporters on Monday evening.

Garber was in town for a gala celebrating the 2026 MLS “Hometown Heroes,” a group of four nonprofit leaders who are making substantive change in the Carolinas. It was one of the many events around town leading up to the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte on Wednesday.

“And if the plan didn’t work, then a soccer-specific stadium would’ve had to be part of the solution,” Garber continued. “But when you see attendances that are higher than the vast majority of our average stadium capacities, it’s worth continuing that journey.”

David Tepper, the billionaire hedge fund manager originally from Pittsburgh, owns the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and the MLS’s Charlotte FC. He also owns and operates Tepper Sports and Entertainment.

TSE announced last week that the company would invest an additional $500 million in immediate renovations to the stadium — bringing the company’s total private investment into the renovation to $650 million. That, on top of what the city of Charlotte is already contributing ($650 million), brings the project’s expense to approximately $1.3 billion.

That renovation will encompass a lot of upgrades — enhancements that will “impact every fan,” as CEO Kristi Coleman told reporters last week. And for the features it doesn’t have? NFL and MLS commissioners have visited Charlotte in consecutive weeks and addressed those concerns.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made clear that the Carolina Panthers have “Super Bowl quality” facilities despite not preparing for a dome; he even volunteered that Charlotte has the facilities and the infrastructure that makes it perfectly suitable for an NFL Draft.

And Monday, Garber weighed in on the soccer-specific stadium debate.

“(David Tepper) has invested hundreds of millions of dollars, as has the community, and I’d like to see where it goes,” Garber said. “I’m excited by the renovations and what impact it’ll have on our club, how it will allow this community to get even more engaged with the team.”

Charlotte FC, which had its inaugural season in 2022, has been in the Top 3 of attendance through its first four seasons. It averaged 35,260 fans in 2022. It saw an increase in 2023. In 2024-2025, those numbers dropped slightly — though they were still above 30,000. In 2026, however, that number hovered just above 28,000 before the league-wide World Cup break.

The club announced many moves to stem that troubling tide. Among the ways: eliminating Permanent Seat Licenses (which required every potential season-ticket holder to also pay a one-time licensing fee before being able to access the annual season-tickets), and lowering the average price of a season ticket for an upcoming season.

“I look at the journey that teams have been on from when they were launched, and all the euphoria of being new and then the challenge of being new and improved,” Garber said. “It’s no different than any business. It’s no different than many professional sports teams that goes through the cycles of success and challenges. They’re going through challenges now that they’re committed to addressing.”

Garber added: “The league looks at all its teams, and we want them to be as successful as they possibly can and do the hard work. If that means re-pricing, if it means changing their perspective on the fan experience and hospitality, we’re going to encourage them and support them to do so.”

One of the greatest players to ever play the world’s most popular game will not play in the MLS All-Star Game for a second-consecutive year. The MLS announced this on Saturday, adding that Lionel Messi will also not incur any punishment for his absence — like he did in 2025.

Garber explained why.

“We want all of our players to embrace the All-Star Game,” Garber said. “But when you have a World Cup, and particularly a guy like Leo played among the most games of any player of all the participating countries and played every minute of every game, or almost every minute of every game — he’s earned the right to take a break. As has every other player from MLS — 45 of them — who participated in the World Cup.

“And we’re not just obligated by our agreement with those players to take a rest, but also honoring the service to the game. I hope they have some moments to take a deep breath. Because they’ve all earned it.”

Garber said that 15 players who played in the World Cup will still play in the All-Star Game on Wednesday, either representing MLS or for Liga MX. That list includes Charlotte FC defender and U.S. Men’s National Team captain Tim Ream.

Messi isn’t the only All-Star to miss Wednesday’s game. Rodrigo De Paul, who also represented Argentina in the World Cup and who’s also on Inter Miami CF, will miss the match. Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Hugo Cuypers have been excused from the exhibition match, too.

Those four players have been replaced by Miami’s Yannick Bright, Vancouver’s Andres Cubas, Houston’s Guilherme and Chicago’s Philip Zinckernagel.

Nicole Tepper, who runs the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation, is ecstatic for the night and how the week of MLS All-Star festivities has showcased Charlotte as “a soccer city.”

The city and #Panthers / #CharlotteFC fans “deserve this,” she says. And more: https://t.co/ZNzRVjwJOC pic.twitter.com/wxumqajLlh