CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Soccer fans around Charlotte are celebrating, after it was announced Major League Soccer would be bringing a team to the Queen City.
- MLS will be expanding to Charlotte
- Fans have waiting a long time for professional soccer in Charlotte
- Owner David Tepper says fans will have a say in the franchise's nickname
At Tuesday's announcement, mega-fans from groups like the Mint City Collective and Pancho Villa's Army were invited inside the Mint Museum to participate in the festivities. David Tepper, the owner of the Carolina Panthers and the new MLS team, spent time celebrating with fans after the main event.
Javier Morales is a member of Pancho Villa's Army, and says he's been waiting years for a professional soccer team to come to Charlotte.
"Charlotte overall is deserving of it, because I think it's such a cultural pot that we all love soccer," Morales says. "You know, no matter where we come from, we're all fans of the sport, of the fan base, of just everything that has to do with soccer."
Other fans like Evan Kent braved the rain and muggy weather outside to be a part of history.
"I was young when the Panthers came into Charlotte, I wasn’t even born when the Hornets came in. This is our third major professional sports team coming to the city," Kent says. "I feel like this was a magic moment I kind of wanted to witness myself. So I just felt like I had to be here just kind of revel in the moment a little bit."
Fans will also have a say in deciding the team's name. Tepper says he wants feedback from fans before a club name is officially announced.