Background and aims <p>Along coastal habitats worldwide, <i>Carpobrotus edulis</i> is a highly invasive and detrimental species, that acts as an ecosystem engineer by modifying many soil properties for its own benefit. However, the combined effects of <i>C. edulis</i> and climate change on soil characteristics remain largely unknown.</p> Methods <p>To address this knowledge gap, we set up a factorial field experiment with five treatments and eight replicates per treatment: natural vegetation as an uninvaded control under current climate conditions, <i>C. edulis</i> under current climate conditions, and <i>C. edulis</i> subjected to increased temperature (+ 2 ºC), decreased rainfall (- 33%), and both factors combined (+ 2 ºC and - 33% rainfall). The soil 0–5 and 5–10 cm layers were sampled after 14 months and analysed for 21 properties.</p> Results <p>Although the effect of depth on soil characteristics was greater in most cases, the treatments significantly affected soil pH_KCl, electrical conductivity, organic δ¹³C, NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N and available Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, and Zn. The discriminant analyses clearly differentiated the invaded from the uninvaded soils, reinforcing the view of <i>C. edulis</i> as an ecosystem engineer and highlighting the significant role of the species in shaping ecosystem dynamics. Besides, the analyses indicated that decreased precipitation had a greater impact on invaded soils than increased temperature, and suggested a synergistic effect of both climatic treatments.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings underline the complex interactions between invasive species and climate change, highlighting the need for specific management strategies to mitigate <i>C. edulis</i> impacts on soil health and ecosystem integrity.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>