MLS to align calendar with world's top football leagues / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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MLS to align calendar with world's top football leagues
Major League Soccer will change its competition schedule to align with the world's top football leagues, shifting to a North American summer to spring schedule in 2027, MLS said on Thursday.
The MLS season currently runs from late February to early December, including the regular season and the MLS Cup playoffs.
Starting with the 2027-2028 campaign, the competition will begin in July and crown its champion in May, the league said in a statement.
The new calendar, similar that of European leagues, also includes a winter break from mid-December to early February.
Before implementing the new calendar, the MLS will organize a transition season from February to May 2027, with a regular season of 14 matches and followed by playoffs.
Among other implications, the change will allow the MLS transfer window to align with the international market.
"This calendar change is a transformative moment for Major League Soccer," said MLS commissioner Don Garber.
"Aligning our calendar with the world's major leagues will strengthen the global competitiveness of our clubs, create better opportunities in the transfer market, and ensure that our playoffs take center stage without interruption."
The change was approved on Thursday at a meeting of the board of governors in Palm Beach, Florida.
J.Horn--BTB