Charlotte FC announced the signing of Israeli forward Liel Abada from Celtic FC on March 7, 2024.
In his debut season with the Club, Abada proved himself as an offensive threat. He finished second in goals scored for CLTFC with seven and added two assists through 24 regular season appearances. Additionally, he led the squad in shots on target (32), was second in key passes (32) and third in shots (58). He made his debut off the bench in a 1-1 draw against reigning Supporters’ Shield champions FC Cincinnati on March 30. In the MLS Cup Playoffs, Abada appeared in all three matches and notched an assist off the bench in Game 3 at Orlando City SC.
The forward came to the Queen City from Celtic FC of the Scottish Premiership. During his two-and-a-half-year stint, Abada tallied 51 goal contributions through 112 matches and won six titles (Scottish Premier League champion – 3x, Scottish Cup – 2x, Scottish League Cup – 2x), including a treble in 2023. Prior to his time in Glasgow, Abada came through the Maccabi Petah Tikva Academy and made his debut as a professional as a 17-year old on Jan. 15, 2019 against Gvia haMedina. He would go on to make 76 appearances across all competitions with 30 goal contributions.
Abada has 15 caps for the Israel senior national team since debuting in 2021. He made his senior debut in a UEFA Nations League match against Montenegro on June 5, 2021. In 2024, Abada was called into the 2024 Paris Olympic squad, where he made three appearances at the competition. He also racked up 43 total appearances with Israel’s youth squads, including appearances at the UEFA European U-17 Championship.
2024 (Charlotte FC): MLS Regular Season – Appeared in 24 matches, making 20 starts, totaling 1,647 minutes. His seven goals tied him for second-most scored in the squad. Contributed two assists. Made his Club debut off the bench in a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati on March 30. First in the squad in shots on target with 32. Second in the squad in key passes with 32. Third in the squad in shots with 58. MLS Cup Playoffs – Appeared in all three of CLTFC’s matches against Orlando City SC, starting in two matches. Recorded an assist off the bench in Game 3 at Orlando.
International: Has 15 senior caps with the Israeli national team. Included in Isreal’s 2024 Paris Olympic squad, appearing in three matches. Scored his first international goal against Iceland in a UEFA Nations League match. Recorded an assist in World Cup Qualifiers against the Faroe Islands on Sept. 1, 2021. Made his international debut against Montenegro on June 5, 2021. Has 43 appearances across multiple youth national team age groups.
