Charlotte’s Summer of Soccer

The Charlotte Football Club (Charlotte FC) season began with its season opener on March 21st against the New York Red Bulls with a 6 to 1 win. What began as a dream to bring Major League Soccer (MLS) to Charlotte has grown into a cornerstone of the city’s sports identity. The passion of its expanding fanbase alongside the electric energy at Bank of America Stadium proves time and time again that Charlotte is a soccer city.

And the timing couldn’t be better. The global spotlight is turning toward soccer with the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to North America.  Charlotte will host the Scotland National Team as base camp and Bank of America Stadium will feature the US Men’s National Team for a friendly match against Senegal on May 31, 2026, ahead of the World Cup. The tournament will bring the world’s biggest stars to our doorstep expanding soccer’s growth across the region. For fans in the Carolinas, it’s a once-in-a-generation moment to experience the game’s biggest celebration.

Interest is surging right now, new fans are joining the game, and communities in Charlotte are stepping onto the world stage. Sports bring people together and Charlotte FC is at the heart of it. 

Join us on May 21st for a with Zoran Krneta, General Manager of the Charlotte FC, as he shares his perspective on the Queen City’s soccer story, the club’s growth, and Charlotte’s emergence as a global sports destination.

 

 

  • WACC Private Reception Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK 
  • WACC Global Sports Series Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK

Program Information: 

Date: Thursday, May 21st, 2026
Check-In and Pre-Lunch Networking: 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Location: Location TBA
Cost: $65 (WACC Member Rate) | $85 (Non-Member Rate) | $50  (Young Professionals of the WACC Member Rate) | $45 (WACC Student Member / Teacher Member Rate)

 

 

 

Biography: 

Across a career spanning European football, sports management, and the broader business world, Zoran Krneta has done what few executives can claim: built organizations from the ground up — a soccer club, a software company, a basketball club — each time creating the structure, culture, and strategic foundation required for sustained success. What distinguishes his perspective is a combination of depth and range that is genuinely rare in this industry. Before crossing to the club side, Zoran spent years as a professional soccer agent — navigating high-stakes negotiations, understanding the
psychology of players and their representatives, and understanding, at a fundamental level, what it takes to get the best out of players and the deals that surround them. That experience doesn’t leave you. It sharpens every roster decision, every contract, and every relationship that follows.

As General Manager of Charlotte FC, Zoran brings 30+ of proven experience across European football and multiple industries to one of MLS’s most exciting clubs. His focus has been deliberate and clear: strengthen the organization’s structure, build a roster with purpose and precision, and establish the standards that championship-caliber clubs are built on.