MLS has released the schedule for the 2027 sprint season, a condensed campaign designed to bridge the league's transition to a European-style calendar.
The sprint season will feature 14 regular-season matches per team, with each club facing its 14 conference opponents once — seven home and seven away. The regular season opens on February 19 with Inter Miami hosting FC Cincinnati and concludes on Decision Day, May 8, with a Hudson River Derby between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.
The match at Yankee Stadium will mark the final MLS game at the venue before NYCFC moves to its new stadium in Queens, ending a tenure that began in 2015.
The league plans to showcase a marquee matchup each week, continuing the Walmart Saturday Showdown and Sunday Night Soccer broadcasts. High-profile players such as Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi, Thomas Müller, and Evander will share the stage with emerging talents like Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, and Peyton Miller.
Playoff format shifts to single-elimination rounds for the top eight teams in each conference, replacing the current wild-card and best-of-three series. The playoff schedule is yet to be announced, but the new format aims to address criticism over the length of the postseason. The sprint season will also determine five Concacaf Champions Cup berths and 18 Leagues Cup qualifiers (nine per conference).
The calendar change aligns MLS with global transfer windows, allowing winter primary transfers and reducing pressure to sell players midseason. The league will also pause for international breaks, improving squad availability. While harsh winters pose geographic challenges, they are comparable to existing summer heat and thunderstorm risks.
Following the sprint season, the 2027-28 MLS season will begin in July 2027 and run through May 2028, mirroring the European season timeline.
