Wilfried Zaha, a former EPL star playing in MLS and for Charlotte FC for the first time, scored an electrifying goal in the 54th minute as Charlotte FC beat Atlanta United, 2-0, in its 2025 home opener in front of a crowd of 51,

The English Premier League veteran provided the offensive fireworks for Charlotte, which earned its first victory of the 2025 season.

Kirk Wakefield, a sports marketing professor at Baylor University, says Charlotte FC already stands among “the leading clubs in MLS.”

Ally is the lead sponsor on Charlotte FC’s Pitches for Progress program, which puts half-sized, artificial turf soccer fields at schools, apartments and community centers in underserved areas. Fourteen fields have been built so far; the seventh mini-pitch backed by Ally will open later this year.