By Daniel Feuerstein | New York, NY | March 19th, 2026
Major League Soccer has just announced its schedule for its sprint season in early 2027, as they prepare to align their in-season schedule with the International Calendar in the 2027-28 season. Starting from February through April, with playoffs in May to crown a new MLS Cup Champion, and then into the backend of the summer to start the new season. The first step is to mirror the rest of the world, playing the world’s favorite game in a club season.
Details of the Sprint Season
During the short season, MLS Clubs will play 14 matches against clubs within their own conference, no cross-conference matches until the new 2027-28 season. Seven at home and seven on the road. Clubs that will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup will play those games during the sprint season. During the sprint season, clubs from both Conferences will earn points to qualify for the 2028 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the 2028 Leagues Cup, as 18 of 30 will qualify for the Leagues Cup.
Schedule setup
In fourteen matches, you will play each club within your own conference once until the new season starts in the summer of 2027. If you play DC United at home, you won’t visit their stadium on the road. If you visit the Chicago Fire, they won’t come to Sports Illustrated Stadium. When the new season starts, MLS will begin in July of 2027, take a winter break from mid-December to the beginning of February, and finish the regular season in April, then hold their playoffs in May to crown a new MLS Cup Champion.
Personal Thoughts
It’s a good day to see MLS finally aligning with the International Calendar to fix several issues with player transfers and improve its clubs. Those Club’s qualifying to participate in other competitions like the US Open Cup, and those MLS Clubs who qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup. While some will say this remains a bad idea, this is the first step toward clarity and becoming part of the Soccer World.
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