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Major League Soccer opens the season with eyes on the World Cup and a schedule shift in 2027

This weekend, Major League Soccer opens its 31st season with a marquee match at the Los Angeles Coliseum featuring Son Heung-min and Lionel Messi before an anticipated 70,000 fans.
Major League Soccer will pause for a seven-week World Cup break from May 25 to July 16 and plans a 2027 calendar shift to start in mid- to late July and end in April, aligning with international counterparts.
Nearly one-third of MLS teams enter the season with new coaches, including Columbus, Colorado, LAFC, Minnesota, New England, Sporting Kansas City and St. Louis City, while clubs added Berterame, Werner and a short-term James Rodriguez deal.
MLS schedules its playoffs and MLS Cup for May, hoping for a 'World Cup Bump,' as Garber called this phase 'MLS 3.0' and said 'We expect to have a record number of players in the tournament'.
The schedule shift next year aims to put MLS in a more competitive position in the transfer market, free players for national-team duty for summer tournaments, and officials are evaluating playoff format changes and conference alignment adjustments.

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MLS opens season with eyes on World Cup, schedule shift

Major League Soccer opens its 31st season this weekend, kicking off one of the most consequential two-year stretches in the league’s history.

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Major League Soccer opens the season with eyes on the World Cup and a schedule shift in 2027 - Boston News, Weather, Sports

Major League Soccer opens its 31st season this weekend, kicking off one of the most consequential two-year stretches in the league’s history. There’s the impact of the World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, then, in 2027, MLS will switch to a summer to spring schedule to align more closely with its international counterparts. MLS will take a seven-week break for the World Cup from May 25 to July 16. Many of the league…

1 month ago·Boston, United States

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