The 2020 FC Cincinnati season was the club's second season in MLS, and the fifth season of a team playing under the FC Cincinnati brand after three years in the lower-division USL Championship. The club finished with a league worst 6âÂÂ22âÂÂ6 record in their inaugural MLS season in 2019, setting a league record for the most goals given up with 75. The 2020 season was the final year that FC Cincinnati played home matches at Nippert Stadium, as their new West End Stadium is scheduled to open in March 2021.
FC Cincinnati's offseason transfers and preseason training were executed under head coach Ron Jans. However, Jans resigned on February 17, amidst an investigation into his alleged use of a racial slur. Assistant coach Yoann Damet took over as interim head coach two weeks before FC Cincinnati's first regular season match. On May 21, 2020, Jaap Stam was named head coachâÂÂthe fourth in the team's history. Said Bakkati, who had worked on Stam's staff in the past, was also named new assistant coach.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLS suspended play after two weeks in March and resumed with the MLS is Back Tournament four months later. The tournament was played within a bio-secure bubble near Orlando, Florida, and was followed by the resumption of the regular season with a modified schedule to reduce travel. FC Cincinnati played all of their home matches behind closed doors with no public spectators in attendance.
Due to their final position in the 2019 MLS standings, FC Cincinnati would enter the competition in the Third Round, which was scheduled for April 19âÂÂ21. However, the tournament was suspended and eventually cancelled on August 17, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Numbers after plus-sign(+) denote appearances as a substitute.
|- ! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Goalkeepers
|- ! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Defenders
|- ! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Midfielders
|- ! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Forwards
|- ! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Players who have played for FC Cincinnati this season but have left the club:
|-