Wilfried Zaha loan extended at Charlotte FC

Ivorian winger Wilfried Zaha will be in Major League Soccer for at least another seven months after an extension to his loan with Charlotte FC was confirmed.

 

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On loan from Turkish giants Galatasaray, the 33-year-old former Ivory Coast national team attacker enjoyed a return to form during the 2025 MLS season. Zaha produced 10 goals and 12 assists in 35 matches across all competitions as Charlotte qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs by finishing fourth place on the Eastern Conference table.

After a disastrous 2024-25 season that saw him fall out of favor at Galatasaray before struggling for playing time on loan at Olympique Lyonnais, Zaha was welcomed with open arms by a Charlotte team in search of a superstar. After an uneven start to life in the USA, the former Crystal Palace star improved over the course of the season and is enjoying his time in MLS.

“I’m happy I’m adjusting to the league,” Zaha said in September. “It took a bit of time…but I know what I can do and it is showing on the pitch…I know that we’ve got more in the team.”

The six-month loan extension was triggered based on Zaha’s statistics after he accumulated 10 goals and 10 assists in 31 matches. The loan will now run until the end of his contract with Galatasaray, which expires at the end of June in 2026.

Charlotte are now in the offseason after being eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs after falling to New York City FC at the beginning of November.