2027-2028 MLS Season to Begin in Late Summer, Culminate with Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in May
Major League Soccer today announced a shift in its competition calendar, aligning the league’s schedule with the world’s top soccer leagues. Beginning in the summer of 2027, MLS will adopt a summer-to-spring season format, marking one of the most significant developments in the league’s history. MLS is continuing to work with the MLSPA to finalize an agreement on a transition plan.
In conjunction with this transition, MLS will introduce a new regular season format that blends elements of the global game with North American sports traditions. The league will also review potential adjustments to its Audi MLS Cup Playoffs format as part of an ongoing evaluation process but has not yet finalized any changes.
The calendar transition and the new regular season structure were approved during today’s MLS Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.
“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.”
2027–28 Season Structure
The 2027–28 MLS regular season will kick off in mid-to-late July 2027 and conclude with the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi in late May 2028.
Like many other major international leagues, MLS will observe a midwinter break from mid-December through early February, with no league matches scheduled in January.
Before the change to the new calendar, MLS will stage a transition season from February to May 2027, featuring a 14-game regular season, playoffs, and MLS Cup. The results will determine 2027 qualification for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Canadian Championship, Leagues Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup.
President and General Manager Diego Gigliani’s statement on today’s news that MLS will be shifting to a summer-to-spring calendar starting in the summer of 2027:
One of the most unique qualities of Major League Soccer is the drive to evolve and improve. The change to our calendar is the next step in that evolution. Aligning our season with the world’s top leagues will not just increase the league’s international credibility, it also will enable us to further grow our TV audiences by moving our playoffs to May and improve our ability to attract and retain players by aligning the transfer windows.
The league has also been diligent in seeking to minimize the impact to the live experience for fans in colder weather markets. With the mid-season break in December/January and other thoughtful scheduling decisions, our fans in St Louis should only expect a slight increase in home matches in colder weather months than in a full-length season today.
