St. Louis City v Charlotte FC: Toklomati extends deal ahead of 2026 season opener


Charlotte FC have confirmed that striker Idan Toklomati has signed a new long-term deal with the club.

The 21-year-old’s new contract will see him remain with Charlotte until the end of the 2028-29 season, with an option for an extra year.

Toklomati was one of three Charlotte players to score 10 or more goals in the MLS regular season in 2025, alongside Wilfried Zaha and Pep Biel, after having only two players reach double figures in the club’s first three MLS seasons.

Charlotte travel to St. Louis City to kick off the 2026 MLS campaign on Saturday, with Toklomati securing his future at the club before their season opener.

“Idan is a top talent that we were able to sign at 19 and has blossomed into one of Major League Soccer’s brightest talents,” said Charlotte general manager Zoran Krneta.

“He is a player who believed in our development pathway for him, and during his first full season with the first team he scored double digit goals.

“Our aim, as well as Idan’s, is to win trophies for the Carolinas, and this extension is an important piece of our long-term roster building strategy.”

Charlotte’s 2025 season ended in the first round of the MLS Cup play-offs after a 2-1 series defeat to New York City FC.

St. Louis did not qualify for the postseason, finishing 13th in the Western Conference, though they did end the regular season with three wins from their last five games (D1 L1).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

St. Louis City – Marcel Hartel

Hartel was one of St. Louis’ most prolific players last season, scoring nine goals and providing four assists.

He ended the 2025 campaign in good form, directly contributing to five goals in his last five games (four goals, one assist).

Charlotte FC – Pep Biel

Biel was in stellar form for Charlotte before his 2025 campaign was cut short by a knee injury.

He registered 22 direct goal involvements (10 goals, 12 assists) in just 26 matches, his best-ever return in a single season.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

St. Louis are unbeaten in their three MLS season-opening matches, recording a win in their inaugural match in 2023 before opening each of the last two seasons with draws.

Including play-offs, Charlotte have lost only one of their final six away matches in 2025 (W4 D1), keeping clean sheets in each of the last two. It was the first set of consecutive away clean sheets in all competitions in club history.

The only previous meeting between St. Louis and Charlotte was a 3-1 home win for the former in March 2023, in the club’s second-ever match.

Twenty-four different St. Louis players contributed to at least one goal in the 2025 regular season, the most in MLS last year. Twenty of those players recorded at least one assist, also the most in the league in 2025.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

St. Louis City – 36.9%

Draw – 26.3%

Charlotte FC – 36.8%




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