Los Angeles, Dec 17 (AFP/APP): The North Carolina city of Charlotte was handed Major League Soccer’s latest expansion franchise on Tuesday, with the new team set to kick off in 2021. The plans were announced at a press conference by MLS Commissioner Don Garber and David Tepper, the billionaire owner of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. Added to other expansion franchises already awarded, the MLS now has plans for 30 teams. Garber hinted that this would be the limit, describing Tuesday’s unveiling as “likely our last announcement.” “We are thrilled to welcome Charlotte as Major League Soccer’s 30th club,” said Garber. “During the last two decades, Charlotte has experienced enormous energy and growth, which matches soccer’s explosive rise in popularity in the United States,” added Garber, describing the choice of Charlotte as the “right decision at the right time.” Charlotte’s arrival in the league marks another milestone in the development of MLS, which kicked off in 1996 with 10 US teams. Twenty-four teams played in MLS last season, including first-year club FC Cincinnati. David Beckham’s Inter Miami squad and a new team in Nashville, Tennessee, are set to debut in 2020 with a club in Austin, Texas, scheduled to open … Continue reading Charlotte awarded MLS franchise