St. Louis CITY SC players in action during the 2026 MLS season opener against Charlotte FC at Energizer Park.
St. Louis CITY SC kick off the 2026 MLS regular season with a hard-fought point against Charlotte FC at Energizer Park, setting the tone for an exciting season ahead. Courtesy of St. Louis City SC

St. Louis CITY SC Battles Charlotte FC in 2026 Season Opener

ST. LOUIS, MO, (February 21, 2026) — St. Louis CITY SC opened the 2026 season at Energizer Park with a 1-1 draw against Eastern Conference opponents Charlotte FC on Saturday afternoon. In first half action, CITY SC outshot Charlotte 10 to three but it took the second half to end the deadlock, as Marcel Hartel scored his first goal of the season and the first of the 2026 MLS regular season. Both Simon Becher and Daniel Edelman earned their first assists of the year. The Crown followed up with the tying goal 13 minutes later from Pep Biel. CITY SC remains undefeated in home and season openers, with a record of 1-3-0. St. Louis will head to San Diego FC on Sunday, March 1 with kickoff slated for 8:15 p.m. CT on Sunday Night Soccer on Apple TV and FS1.  

Postgame Notes 

  • Marcel Hartel scored his first goal of the season for CITY SC 
  • Hartel’s goal was the first of the season in the 2026 MLS regular season 
  • Hartel has scored five goals in his last six regular season matches 
  • Simon Becher earned his first assist of the year and fourth of his MLS career 
  • In his debut with St. Louis, Daniel Edelman picked up his first assist of the season and third of his MLS career 
  • Rafael Santos and Lukas MacNaughton also made their CITY SC debuts 
  • Dante Polvara made his MLS debut with the start this afternoon 
  • Roman Bürki played in his 100th career game with St. Louis CITY SC across all competitions 
  • Bürki is the first player in club history to hit the 100-match mark 
  • CITY SC remains undefeated in home openers, moving to a 1-3-0 record in those contests 

February 21, 2026 – Energizer Park (St. Louis, MO)  

Source: St. Louis City SC Communcations


#STLcitySC #MLS2026 #CharlotteFC #Soccer #MajorLeagueSoccer #EnergizerPark #MLSSeason #StLouis #SoccerNews #MLS

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Senior Editor, Digital Manager, Blogger, has been nominated for awards several times as Publisher and Author over the years. Has been with company for almost three years and is a current native St. Louisan.

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Senior Editor, Digital Manager, Blogger, has been nominated for awards several times as Publisher and Author over the years. Has been with company for almost three years and is a current native St. Louisan.

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