By Billy McGee
September 12, 2025
Charlotte FC is looking to make Major League Soccer history on Saturday night against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. The Crown are on a historic eight-game MLS winning streak that has lifted the club from 10th place in the Eastern Conference to third. A win against Miami would tie Charlotte with the 2018 Seattle Sounders for the longest winning streak in league history in the post-shootout era.
Each of Charlotte’s last four wins has been by a single goal, most recently a 2-1 road victory over the New England Revolution, where Idan Toklomati scored on a header in the 87th minute to keep the streak alive heading into their week off for the international break.
Toklomati has broken out during the winning streak. The 21-year-old striker stepped into the starting role on May 14 when Patrick Agyemang left for international duty ahead of his transfer to Derby County. In his 13 MLS starts since taking over as the primary striker, Toklomati has tallied 10 goal contributions, including five goals and two assists during the current run. Alongside him on the front line, Wilfried Zaha has also made a major impact over the last eight matches, recording two goals and four assists.
After a rough start to the season defensively, the Crown have allowed just four goals during their winning streak. Charlotte’s defense has been heavily rotated this season due to injuries, most notably to Nathan Byrne, who missed nearly four months with a neck disc injury before recently returning. A more stable defense has reduced the individual mistakes that hurt Charlotte during their poor run of form earlier in the season and caused them to slide in the standings.
Kristijan Kahlina has been a major factor in Charlotte’s improved defense, seemingly returning to his 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year form. While he faces plenty of shots, the back line has done well to limit the quality of chances opponents create. When teams do find good looks at goal, Kahlina has made it nearly impossible to score, recording 24 saves over the last four matches while allowing just a single goal — well below the xGA of 7.7 during that stretch.
Charlotte and Inter Miami have already met once this season, in March, with Inter Miami taking a 1-0 home win while playing most of the match with 10 men. Miami currently sits sixth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind a top-four spot, though they have played four fewer games than the top four teams. Their recent form has been inconsistent: they performed strongly in the Leagues Cup, winning all but one match before a 3-0 loss to Seattle in the final, but they have dropped points in three of their last four MLS games, including a 0-0 draw against FC Cincinnati on July 26.
Both Charlotte and Inter Miami will be shorthanded for the match. Inter Miami will be without starting striker Luis Suárez, who is serving a three-match suspension for his involvement in a postgame altercation following their Leagues Cup final loss.
Charlotte will be without manager Dean Smith, who is serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. Despite being without their coach, Charlotte may receive a boost with midfielder Pep Biel available to return from injury.
“Pep trained today and he’ll train tomorrow, so he’ll be available for selection,” Smith said during his Thursday press conference.
To extend their winning streak and remain among the top teams in the East, Charlotte will need to stay sharp defensively against a Miami attack tied for the league lead with 54 goals this season. Miami is led by Messi, who has 19 goals and 10 assists, ranking second in MLS for total goal contributions behind only Anders Dreyer. Charlotte does catch a break, however, as Suárez — who has recorded 16 goal contributions in 2025 — will be unavailable for this match.
“Without him, you take out goals and assists, you take out the quality that he possesses, but we won’t underestimate who comes in for him,” said Smith.
The Crown may not have a player on par with Messi, but their attack has consistently produced results this season, tied for eighth in MLS with 48 goals. Charlotte has been selective with their shot attempts, ranking 21st in total attempts, yet they are among the league leaders in shooting accuracy at 40.8%, the fifth-best mark in MLS. They have also not been held scoreless in any competition since a 1-0 home loss to New England on April 26. If Charlotte can maintain their form and capitalize on high-quality chances against a Suárez-less Miami, backed by the home crowd, they stand a strong chance of making history with a ninth consecutive win.
Charlotte also has the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win, provided the New York Red Bulls drop points against Portland.
The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 13, and will stream on the Apple TV MLS Season Pass. Tickets are sold out, but resale options are available through Ticketmaster and Gametime. Fans arriving early will receive an inflatable crown.
Read next:
