Charlotte FC is headed back to the postseason.
The Crown beat CF Montréal 4-0 on Wednesday night to lock up a spot in the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs, according to the Associated Press. Liel Abada came off the bench in the 65th minute and scored in the 67th, 79th and 83rd minutes. It was the first hat trick of his career and the third in club history, the AP reported.
Idan Toklomati opened the scoring with a seventh-minute header off a cross from Allan Saint-Maximin and finished with a goal and an assist. Pep Biel added three assists, and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina needed just one save. The win snapped a three-game winless stretch and moved Charlotte to 14-10-8.
According to MLSsoccer.com, Charlotte sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with 50 points and two regular-season matches left, as it chases home-field advantage in Round One. It’s the club’s fourth playoff trip in five seasons; Charlotte went out in Round One in both 2024 and 2025.
The league’s playoff schedule starts with Wild Card matches on Nov. 18, and MLS Cup is set for Dec. 18, per MLSsoccer.com. The top seven seeds in each conference go straight to the best-of-three Round One series. Matchups and dates for Charlotte will be set once the regular season wraps up.
Source: AP via ABC10: Abada’s hat trick helps Charlotte beat Montreal 4-0 · MLSsoccer.com: Charlotte FC clinch playoff spot
