MLS moving season calendar, finally aligning with world’s top leagues

Some major changes are coming to Major League Soccer.

League owners met Thursday in Florida and voted to shift the league’s calendar to align with most of the world’s domestic leagues. The league will also review potential adjustments to the MLS playoff format, but those changes are not yet finalized.

These changes come after a two-year review process that began in October 2023, with input offered by owners, club executives, players, the MLSPA, partners, and even fans. Here’s everything to know.

How is the MLS schedule changing?

A press release from MLS announced that the league’s regular season will move from spring-fall to a summer-spring beginning in the summer of 2027. Plans are to have the regular season start in mid-to-late July, and wrap up in April with playoffs in May. The league would also take a break in December and January.

‘The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history,’ said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. ‘Aligning our schedule with the world’s top leagues will strengthen our clubs’ global competitiveness, create better opportunities in the transfer market, and ensure our Audi MLS Cup Playoffs take center stage without interruption. It marks the start of a new era for our league and for soccer in North America.’

This change could potentially have major positives for MLS. For one, the league’s current schedule falls in the middle of the global transfer summer window, which is when most of the biggest transfers take place. Moving the MLS schedule would allow MLS to enhance itself as a global soccer competitor, taking advantage of what is elsewhere in the world, a big time for snagging world-class talent.

The schedule change would also allow for more playoff viewership. As it stands, the MLS playoffs happen at the same time as college football and the NFL, which hinders their ability to draw viewers.

In order to compensate for this change, the upcoming season will be transitional and will feature only 14 regular season games from February to May 2027. Results from that season will determine qualification for Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Canadian Championship, Leagues Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup.

MLS says that 92% of league viewers are in favor of this shift, believing the shift will lead to better player performance and a postseason with more opportunity to be popularized in the United States.