MLS to switch to summer-to-spring calendar in bid to widen global reach
Major League Soccer (MLS) is preparing a far-reaching overhaul. From 2027, the North American league will abandon its traditional calendar-year schedule for a format running from summer to the following spring. The reform goes beyond a simple reshuffle of dates and reflects the league’s desire to move closer to international football standards.
Rieltony LOUBOKO · Author profile ·
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A strategic move closer to the European leagues
Since its creation in 1996, MLS has always run its seasons between February and December. That will soon be a thing of the past. The 2027-2028 season will begin in mid-July 2027 and end in May 2028. Clubs will then observe a winter break from mid-December to early February.
With this decision, the American league aims in particular to make dealings with European leagues easier. Aligning the competition periods should allow franchises to fit better into the various transfer windows, while reducing the mismatch with major international fixtures.
The change could also make MLS more attractive to players in European leagues. With calendars now more closely synchronised, player movements between the two markets could take place under more favourable conditions.
2027, a transition year before the new era
The change will not come without a period of adjustment, however. To avoid a break of several months between the end of the current calendar and the start of the new format, MLS has planned an intermediate competition called the “Sprint Season”.
From 19 February to 8 May 2027, the 30 franchises will take part in this shortened edition, made up of 14 matchdays. Each side will play seven home games and seven away, exclusively against teams from its own conference.
At the end of this first phase, the top eight teams in each conference will qualify for the knockout play-offs. The MLS Cup final is scheduled for May, around the Memorial Day weekend.
Franchises face new prospects
Beyond the sporting organisation, the reform directly affects squad management and club planning. Closer calendars should make it easier to coordinate signings and departures with the main markets in world football.
The presence of several international stars in the league already illustrates this ambition. Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, Antoine Griezmann at Orlando, Robert Lewandowski at Chicago and Thomas Müller at Vancouver show MLS’s ability to attract top-level players.
By adopting a calendar close to that of the major European leagues, MLS is taking a new step in its development strategy. It now remains to be seen what effect this transformation will have on the competitiveness of its franchises and on its international profile.