Major League Soccer announced on March 19 that the 2027 MLS Sprint Season will launch the league’s transition to a new summer-to-spring calendar, aligning its schedule with top soccer leagues around the world.
The change is significant as it marks one of the most notable developments in MLS history, aiming to synchronize with international soccer standards and competitions.
The 2027 Sprint Season will begin in February and end in May with the Audi 2027 MLS Cup Playoffs and the MLS Cup presented by Audi. Each team will play 14 regular season games, facing every conference opponent once—seven at home and seven away. The top eight teams from each conference will qualify for single-elimination playoffs, leading to a final between the Eastern and Western Conference champions. The results of this season will also determine qualification for international tournaments, including five berths in the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup and spots for 18 teams in the Leagues Cup.
MLS stated that a detailed schedule, including specific home and away matchups for each team, will be released in coming months. The league also confirmed that starting in July 2027, it will fully adopt a summer-to-spring format. This means future seasons will start in July and conclude with playoffs by May of the following year. A midwinter break is planned from mid-December through early February, during which no matches will be played.
This shift brings Major League Soccer into closer alignment with many major international leagues that follow similar calendars. Observers expect these changes to impact how teams prepare for both domestic and international competitions moving forward.
