MLS has announced the details of its “sprint season”, which will be the transitional year as the league converts to its new international-friendly calendar.
The details include:
- A 14-game season from February to April, including seven home and seven away games for each team
- Teams will play each of their conference opponents once, either at home or on the road
- The top eight teams in each conference will advance to the playoffs
- The playoffs will be a single-elimination format, with the MLS Cup match played in May
After the shortened 2027 season, the league will shift to its new calendar, with the 2027-28 season beginning in July 2027 and running through May 2028. There will be a winter break from the start of January until mid-to-late February (exact details have not been provided yet),
How fans will be affected by the short season
The most glaring issue for many fans is that they may not get to play Lionel Messi and Miami. Rather than the normal 17 road games that Miami would play, they’ll only play seven. That means half of the Eastern conference – and the entire Western Conference – won’t get to see him. For many fans, that is the highlight of their season, and this may make them feel like they are being shortchanged (especially with the clock ticking on Messi’s remaining playing time).
Beyond that, the February start will not be greatly welcomed by fans in places like Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and other cold-weather cities where February is the dead of winter. Having said that, it’s something that MLS fans better get used to, as the shift to the new calendar will make February matches a normal thing. (MLS will happily tell you that they are only adding one or two weeks to the February calendar as compared to the current schedule. But that won’t make fans at Allianz Field in Minneapolis much warmer on February 15th in an outdoor stadium).
Finally, there’s the financial impact on season ticket holders. They’ll go from having a full season ticket payment for 2026, to having an additional seven-game season ticket in early 2027, followed by another a full season-ticket package for the 2027-28 season. That’s extra money that fans will have to come up with, which may be challenging for some as economic pressures continue to mount.
Next Steps
There’s not much to do right now for most fans, as there’s an entire 2026 season to be played before this becomes an issue. But for season ticket holders, it may never be too early to call your season ticket account rep and express any concerns you may have about having to pay for an extra mini-season. It’s possible that some teams may allow you to skip the transitional season and still maintain your account status.
