MLS ’26: 510 Matches, Inter Miami’s New Venue, Break For FIFA World Cup
Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 09:06PM By Barry Janoff
November 20, 2025: Last week, calling it 'one of the most important decisions in our history,' MLS said it plans to move its competition calendar beginning in 2027 from February-December to Summer-Spring to align with FIFA and other soccer leagues worldwide.
According to commissioner Don Garber, “Aligning our schedule with the world's top leagues will strengthen our global competitiveness, create better opportunities and ensure (we) take center stage without interruption.”
But first comes the business of the 2026 MLS regular season, with the schedule released today for the league's 31st campaign.
All 30 MLS clubs are scheduled to play on MLS is Back Opening Weekend Feb. 21-22,
The league’s newest soccer-specific stadium is scheduled to open when Inter Miami CF hosts Austin FC in the inaugural match at 25,000-seat Miami Freedom Park on April 4.
Each MLS club will play 34 games – 17 at home and 17 on the road. Clubs will play conference opponents twice (28 games), once at home and once away. Each club will also contest six different cross-conference opponents.
MLS will be broadcast on Apple TV with all 510 matches available in one dedicated destination with no blackouts across more than 100 countries and regions.
To accommodate the FIFA 2026 World Cup in North America, MLS will pause in late May ahead of the event, scheduled to being June 11, then resume in July before the World Cup final, scheduled for July 19 in MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.
A record number of league players are expected to be called up for the World Cup, which will feature an expanded 48 participating nations.
Sixteen cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico will combine to host 104 games during the month-long tournament.
Five MLS stadiums will play host to World Cup games during the break, with many additional venues serving as potential host sites for national team base camps.
Following the FIFA World Cup Semifinals, MLS will restart the 2026 regular season on July 16-17 with a selection of marquee rivalry matches.
MLS said Inter Miami’s new venue is the first of three MLS stadiums set to open in consecutive years, including New York City FC’s new home, Etihad Park, arriving in 2027, and Chicago Fire FC’s new downtown stadium set to open in 2028.
The 2026 MLS All-Star Game, hosted at Charlotte FC's Bank of America Stadium, will be held July 29. An opponent is TBD..
The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T is scheduled for July 28.
Both midsummer showcase events will air on Apple TV.
The MLS regular season concludes with Decision Day Nov. 7.
Following Decision Day, the league will observe the November FIFA window before beginning one month of uninterrupted Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs action.
It all culminates will Major League Soccer’s championship match, MLS Cup 2026 presented by Audi.
The complete postseason schedule will be announced at a later date.
MLS 2026:Key dates:
• MLS is Back weekend: Feb. 21-22
• Inter Miami CF open Miami Freedom Park: April 4
• FIFA World Cup pause: May 25 - July 16
• MLS action returns: July 16-17
• 2026 MLS All-Star Game: July 29
• Decision Day: Nov. 7
The schedule for the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi will be released at a later date.
New Era For MLS’: Shifting Schedule To Align With World Soccer; Fresh Apple Pact
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