Main League Soccer will overhaul its schedule in 2027, shifting to a summer-to-spring season that aligns with the worldwide soccer calendar and mirrors Europe’s prime leagues. The choice got here Thursday on the Board of Governors assembly in Palm Seashore, the place commissioner Don Garber referred to as it one of the vital important in league historical past.
“There was overwhelming help for this transfer,” Garber stated, who declined to disclose the outcomes of the Board of Governors vote. “That was constructive, however it wasn’t obligatory.”
MLS at the moment performs on a February to November calendar, however beginning in 2027, the season will start in July and run till Could of 2028. It should additionally observe a winter break from mid-December till early February, with no matches in any respect in the course of the month of January. The shifts will permit MLS to interrupt for FIFA worldwide home windows whereas additionally aligning the league with the worldwide market relating to transfers.
“The calendar shift is among the most essential selections in our historical past,” stated Garber in a press launch. “Aligning our schedule with the world’s prime leagues will strengthen our golf equipment’ international competitiveness, create higher alternatives within the switch market, and guarantee our Audi MLS Cup Playoffs take middle stage with out interruption. It marks the beginning of a brand new period for our league and for soccer in North America.”
At the moment, MLS has to make use of the winter switch window to arrange for the season, whereas the summer time switch window is in the course of their common season, making it troublesome to maneuver gamers to Europe whereas additionally guaranteeing that groups are nonetheless aggressive. To ease this transition, MLS plans to have a 14-game common season from February to Could of 2027, which can decide qualification for tournaments such because the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Canadian Championship, Leagues Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup. The 2026 season will run as regular.
When requested if the league is ready to shift to a single-table competitors construction when the brand new calendar begins in mid-to-late July 2027, Garber advised reporters he is “not but prepared to speak about that.”
MLS is not the one international league present process a change like this, because the J-League in Japan is doing one thing comparable. They are going to be making the shift within the 2026-27 season whereas additionally having a transition season to arrange for that. Including in issues just like the winter break will make sure that probably the most excessive winter circumstances that the US has to supply might be prevented, whereas the summer time warmth is already one thing that they work via within the present league schedule.
It is a huge change, however it’s one that enables groups to have their finest gamers for video games whereas additionally aligning with the remainder of the world. MLS has change into a much bigger league within the international market with the addition of stars reminiscent of Lionel Messi and Heung-min Son, and groups needing to play with out them throughout worldwide breaks is sort of an obstacle to having worldwide gamers on a roster. Breaking for FIFA home windows signifies that steadiness will now not be a difficulty. This has been a two-year course of for MLS to make a decision in considering data from homeowners, executives, gamers, and extra.
Garber talked about that the league has labored with the MLS Gamers Affiliation throughout this course of, however there’ll must be a proper transition plan agreed upon. Modifications is also coming to the common season and the playoffs, however these should not finalized as this time.
